Ahead of Pope Francis' apostolic journey to four countries in Asia and Oceania, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Vicar General of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, explores what the Pope's visit means for the global Church.
Gianni Valente and Fabio Beretta, Fides News Agency
The Papal plane will take off from Fiumicino airport on September 2, when Pope Francis will begin what will be the longest and most demanding papal visit of his life, covering four countries on two continents and covering a total distance of around 40,000 kilometres in Asia and Oceania.
But according to Cardinal Luis Antonio Goquim Tagle, the Bishop of Rome leaving his diocese is not a record-breaking move, but “an act of humility before the Lord who calls us” and “obedience to the mission.”
The vicar general of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (First Evangelization Congregation and New Particular Churches Congregation) spoke to the Vatican's Fides News Agency as Pope Francis approached a trip to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore.
The Pope explored why the Successor of Peter's journey through the “little flock” of churches is important for the universal Church, saying it could have implications for all who care about peace in the world.
Q: Pope Francis is about to turn 88 and is about to embark on the longest and most exhausting journey of his papacy. What motivated him to undertake this “tour de force”?
Cardinal Tagle: I remember that this visit to Asia and Oceania was actually planned for the beginning of 2020. I had just arrived at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome, and I remember that this project already existed. Then the COVID-19 pandemic stopped everything. I was very surprised that the Pope again embarked on this project. It is a sign of his fatherly closeness to what he calls his “existential periphery”.
The truth is that I am younger than the Pope and this long journey is heavy for me too. For the Pope, accepting this endeavor is also an act of humility. This 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, an act of humility and obedience to the mission.
Q: Some say this visit is further evidence of the Pope's love for the East and his disregard for the West.
The idea that the apostolic visit is seen as a sign that the Pope “favors certain continents or parts of the world” or disdains others is a misinterpretation of the papal journey. After this visit, the Pope will visit Luxembourg and Belgium at the end of September. The Pope has also visited many countries in many parts of Europe.
It seems to me that through these journeys, the Holy Father wants to encourage Catholics in every situation they find themselves in. We must also remember 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. Many are baptized among the poor.
Pope Francis knows that there are many poor people in these places and that even in the midst of war, persecution and conflict, among the poor there is the figure of Jesus and the appeal of the Gospel.
Q: Some have pointed out that in many of the countries the Pope visits, the number of Christians is small relative to the population.
Prior to his visit, the Pope had received invitations from local churches as well as civil authorities and political leaders who formally requested the Bishop of Rome visit their countries.
They want the presence of the Pope not only for reasons of faith but also for reasons of civil authority: for them the Pope remains a powerful symbol of the fraternal coexistence of human beings and of the protection of creation.
Q: As a pastor from the Philippine Church and as a Cardinal for Missions, what experiences and meetings have you had in the countries and churches that the Pope will visit in the coming days?
In Papua New Guinea, he made an apostolic visit to the seminary at the request of Cardinal Ivan Dias, then Prefect of the Congregation for the Missionaries of the Faith.
In the space of two months, I have made two trips, visiting seminaries in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, as well as Indonesia and Singapore, but I have never been to Timor-Leste, but I have met many of its bishops, priests, non-ordained and laity.
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 ways in which the Gospel is expressed and embodied in different human contexts.
My hope is that the Pope and his entire entourage, as well as the journalists, will be able to experience this new experience, this creativity of the Holy Spirit.
Q: What gifts and comforts can the communities visited during the next Papal visit offer the whole Church?
In these countries, Christian communities are almost everywhere a minority, a “little flock.” In places like Europe, the Church still enjoys a respected cultural, social and even civic “status.”
But in many Western countries we are returning to the experience of the church being a small flock, and it would be good to look at the churches in many Eastern countries to see how we should act when we are in a lowly state.
In these countries, the experience of the first apostles, the disciples of Jesus, is repeated again and again. A parish priest in Nepal told me that the territory of his parish is about one third the size of Italy, and he has only five parishioners scattered over such a large area. It is now 2024, but the situation and experiences seem similar to the Acts of the Apostles. And the small Church in the East has something to teach us.
Q: The first stop on the Pope's trip is Indonesia, the country with the world's largest Muslim population.
Indonesia is an archipelago with great cultural, linguistic, economic and social diversity, and is also the country with the largest Muslim population in the world.
The great gift of the Holy Spirit to the Indonesian Catholic community is coexistence without rejecting diversity, and it is hoped that the Pope's visit will bring renewed vigor to the fraternity between believers of different religions.
Q: During your visit, did you experience any tangible signs of sibling coexistence?
I heard that the land on which the Catholic University stands was gifted by the first president, which is an important message that shows that everyone is accepted as brothers and sisters among the Indonesian people.
I also remember when I participated in the Asian Youth Day. Since there were few Christians, many young Muslims were among the volunteers who participated in this organization. The Bishops' Conference provided me with two assistants, both of whom were Muslims, and I saw that they carried out their duties with great respect for the Church.
Q: What about stage two in Papua New Guinea?
The Church in Papua New Guinea is relatively new, but it has already produced a martyr and catechist for the universal Church, Peter 2 Lot.
Papua New Guinea is also a multicultural country, where various tribes sometimes clash. However, it is also a country where diversity can be a resource. If you can set aside preconceptions, you can find human values in tribal cultures that are close to Christian ideals.
There is a place in Papua New Guinea where nature is untouched. I was there two years ago for the consecration of a new cathedral. I asked the bishop for some water, and he said, “The water in the river is drinkable. It is suitable for drinking.”
Tribal wisdom has allowed them to live in harmony with nature and drink water directly from the river, something that we who live in the so-called developed world can no longer do.
Q: So the third phase is in Timor-Leste?
It is significant that the Pope will visit Indonesia and then Timor-Leste, two countries with a history of conflict that are now at peace, a fragile peace but one that looks likely to last thanks to both countries.
There is a very good relationship between the local church and the government there. The local government also supports the church-related educational services. It seems to me that the church itself was one of the lighthouses for the people during the independence struggle. The Timorese people are adamant that their faith in Christ sustained them through the years of the struggle for independence.
Q: And finally the fourth country, Singapore?
Japan 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 expertise and technological cutting edge in just a few years.
The Singapore government guarantees freedom to all religious communities and protects them from attacks and disrespect. Crimes against religion are severely punished.
People are safe, and so are tourists, but there needs to be a balance, and history teaches us that we must be careful that law enforcement does not contradict the very values the law is meant to uphold.
Q: In those countries, especially in Papua New Guinea, apostolic activity is highlighted by stories of missionary martyrdom, yet we sometimes continue to present missionary activity solely as an expression of cultural colonialism and political beliefs.
Q: There is currently a tendency and temptation to interpret history, especially missionary history, through today’s cultural perspective and to impose our vision on missionaries who lived centuries ago.
Instead, we must interpret history carefully. Missionaries are a gift to the Church. They follow Christ, who commanded his people to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth and who promised to be with them always.
During the colonization process, national leaders sometimes sent missionaries to various places. However, the missionaries traveled to evangelize, not to be manipulated and used by the colonizers. Many priests, missionaries, and non-clergymen acted against the strategies of their own governments and became martyrs.
Q: What is the mysterious bond that always connects martyrdom and mission?
Two years ago, a study on religious freedom was released, and one clear fact was that in countries where there is intimidation and persecution, the number of baptisms is increasing.
Where martyrdom is possible, faith spreads. Even non-believers ask themselves: “Where does this strength come from, to give my life?” It is the Gospel in action.
And our aim at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples is to help local churches, not to impose ideas and cultures that are different from theirs.
