Cardinal Tagle: Pope's trip to Asia-Oceania “an act of humility and obedience to mission”
By Gianni Valente and Fabio Beretta
ROME (Fides News Agency) – Four countries across two continents, covering a total of some 40,000 kilometres: the Papal plane will take off from Fiumicino airport on September 2 as Pope Francis begins his longest and most demanding apostolic visit, through Asia and Oceania. But the Bishop of Rome is not leaving his diocese to break records. Cardinal Luis Antonio Goquim Tagle suggests that it is rather “an act of humility before the Lord who calls us” and “an act of obedience to the mission”.
As Pope Francis approaches his journey to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore, the Vice-Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (First Evangelization Congregation and New Particular Churches), in conversation with Fides, also hinted at why the Successor of Peter's journey to the Churches of the “little flock” is of universal importance for the entire Church and can have an impact on all those interested in world peace.
Pope Francis is about to turn 88 and is about to embark on the longest and most exhausting journey of his papacy. What drives you to undertake this “masterpiece”?
Luis Antonio Tagle: “I remember that this trip to Asia-Oceania was actually planned at the beginning of 2020. I had just arrived at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome and the project already existed. Then the COVID-19 pandemic stopped everything. I was very surprised that the Pope once again embarked on this project. It is a sign of his fatherly closeness to what he calls the “existential periphery”.
To be honest, I am younger than the Pope and I feel the weight of this long journey. For him, accepting this endeavor is also an act of humility. It is not a pretense to show off what he can still do. As a witness, I call it an act of humility before the Lord who calls us. It is an act of humility, an act of submission to the mission.
This trip is
The Pope loves the East and ignores the West…
Cardinal Tagle: The idea of considering the apostolic visit as a sign that the Pope “favors” a certain continent or part of the world, or despises others, is a misinterpretation of the papal journey. The Pope will visit Luxembourg and Belgium at the end of September, after this journey, and he is also visiting many countries in many parts of Europe. It seems to me that with these journeys, the Pope wants to encourage Catholics in all the situations they find themselves in. And we must also not forget that the majority of humanity lives in these parts of the world. Asia is home to two-thirds of the world's population. The majority of these people are poor. And it is among the poor that many are baptized. Pope Francis knows that there are many poor people in these regions, and that even in the midst of wars, persecutions and conflicts, among the poor, they are drawn to the figure of Jesus and the Gospel.
Some point out that many of the countries the Pope will visit have small numbers of Christians relative to their population.
Cardinal Tagle: Prior to his visit, the Pope received an invitation from the local Church, but also from civil and political authorities, who formally requested the Bishop of Rome to visit their countries. They wish for the Pope's visit not only for reasons of faith but also for civil reasons. For them, the Pope remains a powerful symbol of human coexistence in a spirit of fraternity and of the protection of creation.
As a pastor of the Philippine Church
What kind of experiences did the Cardinal Prefect of the Mission have?
Have you met with the countries and churches that the Pope will visit?
In the next few days?
Cardinal Tagle: In Papua New Guinea, I made an apostolic visit to the seminaries at the request of Cardinal Ivan Dias, who was then Prefect of the Congregation for the Missionaries of the Faith. I made two trips in two months, visiting seminaries in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. I also went to Indonesia and Singapore, but I have not been to Timor-Leste, although I met many bishops, priests, non-ordained faithful and laity there. For me Asia is a “world of worlds” and, as an Asian, I realize that my travels there open my mind and heart to the vast horizons of humanity and human experience. Christianity is also rooted in Asia in ways that amaze me. I learn a lot from the wisdom and creativity of the Holy Spirit. I am always amazed by the way the Gospel is expressed and made concrete in different human contexts. My hope is that the Pope and all his entourage, as well as the journalists, can experience this new experience, the creativity of the Holy Spirit.
The gifts and comfort of community
Where will the Pope visit on his next visit?
How do you dedicate the entire church?
Cardinal Tagle: In these countries, the Christian community is almost everywhere a minority, a “little flock”. In places like Europe, the Church still enjoys a certain cultural, social and even civil “status”. But also in many Western countries we go back to this experience of the Church being a little flock. And it is good to look at the Church in many Eastern countries to know how to act when we are in a certain state, a lowly state. The experience of the first apostles, the disciples of Jesus, is repeated many times in these countries. A parish priest in Nepal told me that the territory of his parish is about one third the size of Italy. There are only five parishioners scattered over such a large territory. Now it is 2024, but the situation and the experience seems to be similar to the Acts of the Apostles. And the little Church living in the East can teach us.
The first stop on the Pope's trip is Indonesia.
It has the world's largest Muslim population.
Cardinal Tagle: Indonesia is an island nation.
Culturally, there is a huge diversity of situations.
Linguistically, economically, and socially, the country
It is the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. And
The Great Gift of the Holy Spirit to Indonesian Catholics
The community is a community of coexistence without denial.
Diversity. The Pope's visit brings new
The lifeblood of brotherhood between followers of different religions.
During your visit, were you able to experience any tangible signs of sibling coexistence?
Cardinal Tagle: I heard that the land on which the Catholic University is located was a gift from the first president. It is a strong message that all Indonesian people are accepted as brothers and sisters. I also remember when I participated in the Asian Youth Day. Since there are few Christians, there were many young Muslims among the volunteers who participated in this organization. Two assistants were sent by the Bishops' Conference, both of whom were Muslims, and I saw that they carried out their duties with great respect for the Church.
Stage 2: Papua New Guinea.
Cardinal Tagle: The Church in Papua New Guinea is relatively new, but it has already produced a martyr and catechist, Peter To' Lot, for the Universal Church. Papua New Guinea is also a multicultural country, where different tribes sometimes clash. But it is also a country where diversity can be a resource. If we can cast aside preconceptions, we can find human values in tribal cultures that are close to Christian ideals. And there are places in Papua New Guinea where nature remains untouched. Two years ago, I attended the consecration of a new cathedral. I asked the bishop for water, and he said, “The water from the river is drinkable. It's drinking water.” Thanks to the wisdom of the tribes, they are in harmony with nature and can drink water directly from the river. Something that we, the so-called developed countries, no longer have.
Third stage: Timor-Leste.
Cardinal Tagle: It is significant that the Pope will visit Indonesia and then Timor-Leste. Both countries have a history of struggle and are now at peace. It is a fragile peace, but thanks to these two countries it seems likely to last. The relationship between the Church and the government there is very good. The government also supports Church-related educational services. And it seems to me that the Church itself was one of the lighthouses for the people during the war of independence. The Timorese people declare that their faith in Christ sustained them during the years of the struggle for independence.
Stage 4, Singapore.
Cardinal Tagle: Singapore is one of the richest countries in the world, and it is amazing to see how people, with limited resources and a sense of discipline, have reached such a level of professionalism and technological excellence in just a few years. The Singaporean government guarantees freedom to all religious communities and protects them from attacks and disrespect. Crimes against religion are severely punished. People live in safety, as do tourists. But there needs to be a balance. History teaches us to be careful that law enforcement does not conflict with the values the law is meant to uphold.
In those countries, especially Papua New Guinea,
Apostolic activity highlighted by missionary stories
Martyrs. But sometimes we
Missionaries exist only as an expression of cultural colonialism.
Political beliefs.
Cardinal Tagle: There is a trend right now.
The temptation to interpret history, especially
Connecting today's cultural patterns with our mission
The vision of a missionary who lived centuries ago. Instead,
History must be interpreted carefully.
Missionaries are a gift to the Church. They follow Christ.
He commanded his people to go to the ends of the earth.
Preach the gospel and always
At times, national leaders would take missionaries to various locations.
The process of colonization. However, the missionaries
Spread the gospel and avoid being manipulated and used.
Many priests, missionaries and non-clergy were martyred for acting against the strategies of their governments.
What is the mysterious bond that always connects martyrdom and mission?
Cardinal Tagle: Two years ago, a study on religious freedom was published. There was one clear fact: in countries where there were threats and persecutions, the number of baptisms increased. Where there is the possibility of martyrdom, the faith spreads. And even non-believers ask themselves: But where does this strength come from, to give one's life? It is the living of the Gospel. And our aim at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples is to help local Churches, not to impose an idea or a culture that is different from theirs. (Fides News Agency, 27 August 2024)
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