Cardinal Tagle: Pope’s trip to Asia and Oceania „Humility and Obedience to Mission”
By Gianni Valente and Fabio Peretta
Rome (Fides News Agency) – Four countries on two continents have to cover a total distance of almost 40 thousand kilometers. The papal plane will depart from Fiumicino Airport on September 2nd, and Pope Francis will begin his longest and most demanding apostolic visit, which spans between Asia and Oceania. But the Bishop of Rome did not leave his diocese to break records. His – suggests Cardinal Luis Antonio Coquim Tagle – is rather „an act of humility before the Lord who calls us”. An „obedience to duty”.
In a conversation with Fidesz news agency, the pro-head of the Dicastery for Evangelization – (Division for First Evangelization and New Specific Churches) – as the trip that will take Pope Francis to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore approaches. , suggests why the journey of Peter’s succession among the churches of the „little flock” is universally important for the Church as a whole and can affect all who care about peace in the world.
At nearly 88 years old, Pope Francis is about to embark on the longest and most exhausting journey of his papacy. What motivates you to embrace this “tour de force”?
Luis Antonio Tagle: „I remember that this trip to Asia and Oceania was actually planned for 2020. I was in Rome, at the Congregation for the Evangelization of the People, and I remember that this plan already existed. Then the Covid-19 pandemic stopped everything, and the Holy Father took up this plan again. I was very surprised.
Truly: I am younger than the Pope, and I find these long journeys heavy. According to him, embracing this initiative is a humble act. It is not a show that depicts what one is still capable of. As a witness, I say it is an act of humility before the Lord who calls us. An act of humility and obedience to duty.
Some say: This trip is another confirmation
The Pope loves the East and ignores the West…
Cardinal Tackle: This idea of apostolic visits as a sign that the Holy Father „loves” one continent or part of the world or hates others is a misinterpretation of papal visits. After this trip, the Pope plans to visit Luxembourg and Belgium at the end of September. He has also visited many countries in many regions of Europe. Through these journeys, it seems to me that he wants to encourage Catholics in every environment in which they find themselves. Also, one has to keep in mind that most of humanity lives in these parts of the world. Asia is home to two-thirds of the world’s population. Most of them are poor. And there are many baptisms among the poor. Pope Francis knows that there is a lot of poverty in those areas and that in the midst of war, persecution and conflict there is an attraction to the image of Jesus and to the Gospel among the poor.
Others point out that Christians in many of the countries the Pope visits are small in number relative to the population.
Cardinal Take: Before making trips, the Pope received invitations not only from local churches, but also from civil authorities and political leaders, who formally requested the Bishop of Rome in their country. They prefer the presence of the Pope not only for reasons of faith, but also for reasons related to civil authorities. For them, the Pope is a powerful symbol of human coexistence in a spirit of brotherhood and care for creation.
As a pastor from the Philippine Church
And the Cardinal of the Missionary Dicastery, what experiences
And you have met with the countries and churches that the Pope visits
In the next few days?
Cardinal Tagle: I went on an apostolic visit to the seminaries in Papua New Guinea, where Cardinal Ivan Diaz was the head of the missionary congregation. In two months I made two trips, going to seminars in Papa New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. I have also been to Indonesia and Singapore, but I have never been to East Timor, although I have met many bishops, priests, non-ordained members and lay people from that country. For me, Asia is the „world of different worlds” and as an Asian I see how travels to Asia open my mind and heart to the vast horizons of humanity and the human experience. Christianity has taken hold in Asia to my surprise. I learn so much from the wisdom and creativity of the Holy Spirit. I am always amazed at the ways the gospel is expressed and embodied in different human contexts. It is my hope that the Pope, all of us in the Pontifical Council and the press can have this new experience, the creative experience of the Holy Spirit.
What gifts and comfort to communities
The Pope visited on the next trip
Provide the church as a whole?
Cardinal Tagle: In those countries, the Christian communities are almost everywhere a minority, a „little flock”. In places like Europe, the Church still enjoys a certain cultural, social and civil „status” of respect. But in many Western countries we return to this experience of the Church as a small flock. It is good to look at the churches in many Eastern countries to see how one should behave when one is in a low position. The experience of the first apostles, the experience of Jesus’ disciples, repeats itself in these countries. A parish priest in Nepal told me that the territory of his parish is a third of the size of Italy: he has only 5 people in such a large territory. It’s 2024, but the context and experience seem a lot like the Acts of the Apostles. The small churches living in the East can teach us.
The first stop on the papal visit is Indonesia
With the largest Muslim population in the world.
Cardinal Tagle: Indonesia is an archipelago nation,
And there are culturally diverse situations,
Linguistically, economically and socially. And that is the country
It has the largest Muslim population in the world. And
A great gift of the Holy Spirit for Indonesian Catholics
Society is an undeniable coexistence
Diversity. Hopefully the Pope’s visit will be fresh
A lifeline for brotherhood among different faiths.
Have you been able to experience tangible signs of this brotherly coexistence during your visits?
Cardinal Take: They told me that the land on which the Catholic University is located was gifted by the first president. A strong message to show that all are accepted as brothers and sisters among Indonesian people. I also remember participating in Youth Day in Asia. Due to the small number of Christians, many young Muslims were among the volunteers involved in this organization. The Bishops’ Conference gave me two assistants, both Muslims, and I saw them carry out their duties with great respect for the Church.
Second place: Papua New Guinea.
Cardinal Tagle: The church in Papua New Guinea is a new church, but it has already given the universal church a martyr, Peter the Great. Papua New Guinea is a multicultural country, with various tribes occasionally at odds with each other. But the country is rich in diversity. If we suspend our preconceived notions, we can find human values close to Christian ideals, even in tribal cultures. And Papua New Guinea has unspoiled nature. Two years ago I went there for the consecration of a new cathedral. I asked the bishop for water and he told me: „We can drink the river water, it is drinkable”. Thanks to their tribal wisdom, they were able to preserve harmony with nature and drink directly from the river. Something that we so called developed countries don’t have anymore.
Third stage: East Timor.
Cardinal Tagle: It is significant that the Pope will reach Indonesia and then Timor Leste. Two countries with a history of conflict are now at peace. A tenuous peace, but thanks to both countries it seems to have lasted. The relationship between the local church and the government is very good. Local government also supports church-related educational services. It seems to me that the church was one of the beacons for the population during the War of Independence. The people of Timor Leste declare that their faith in Christ sustained them during the years of struggle for independence.
Stage four, Singapore.
Cardinal Take: This is one of the richest countries in the world, and it is amazing to see a people who have achieved professional and technological breakthroughs in a few years, and discipline with limited resources. The government in Singapore guarantees the freedom of all religious communities and protects them from attacks and acts of disrespect. Crimes against religion are severely punished. People live safe and so do tourists. But balance is needed. History teaches us to be careful that law enforcement does not end up contradicting the values it is supposed to protect.
Even in those countries – notably Papua New Guinea –
Apostolic work is punctuated by the stories of missionaries
Martyrs. But sometimes we continue the work
Missionaries and
Political beliefs.
Cardinal Dale: Now there is a trend and a
A desire to explain history, especially history
Missions, today’s cultural patterns and our imposition
Visions of missionaries who lived centuries ago. Rather, one
History should be interpreted carefully.
Missionaries are a gift to the Church. They obey Christ
He told his people to go to the ends of the earth
He promised to be always there to proclaim the good news
on their side. Occasionally the national leaders of countries have taken missionaries to different places
Colonial processes. But those missionaries traveled
The gospel should not be manipulated
The colonists. Many priests, missionaries, and non-ordained members have become martyrs by acting contrary to the policies of their own government.
What is the mysterious bond that always connects sacrifice with mission?
Cardinal Take: A study on religious freedom was published two years ago. One fact was clear: in countries where there was intimidation and persecution, the number of baptisms was increasing. Where there is a real possibility of sacrifice, faith spreads. Even non-believers ask themselves: But where does this strength – which led them to lay down their lives – come from? This is the gospel in action. Our purpose for the Dicastery for Evangelization is to help local churches, not to impose a different mindset or culture on them. (Fides news agency 27/8/2024)
Share: