POPE Francis has appointed Manila Archbishop Antonio Cardinal Tagle the new prefect of the Congregation of the Evangelization of Peoples. Founded in 1622 as Propaganda Fide, it is one of nine congregations that make up the Pope’s “cabinet” – the Roman Curia – which, according to the Apostolic Constitution of the church, is the bureaucracy that helps the Pope “in the exercise of his supreme pastoral office.”
As one of the nine heads of Vatican congregations, Cardinal Tagle is said to be today “one of the most powerful men in the Catholic Church. The prefect of Propaganda Fide is often referred to as “Il Papa Rosso” (the Red Pope), because of the vast extent of his authority around the globe. He oversees some 1,100 ecclesiastical jurisdictions, about a fourth of all dioceses in the world. He also controls vast financial resources and properties.
Because of the vast powers of the position, there was speculation in the Vatican that the Pope was perhaps bringing him to Rome ”to give him the seasoning and toughening up he needs to become the next pope.”
Cardinal Tagle was the second outsider to be named in less than a month to the Roman Curia. The first was Jesuit priest Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves of Spain who was named prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy. The two are now expected to bring greater transparency and accountability to the finances of the Vatican.
Setting aside the current speculation in the Vatican about the efforts of Pope Francis to carry out reforms in the Vatican bureaucracy, particularly its finances, his appointment of Cardinal Tagle is a most welcome development as the Philippines prepares to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in these islands.
Last Monday, the cardinal asked for prayers for the success of his evangelical mission which he now moves to a new plane with his appointment to lead the Church’s evangelization mission around the world. “I ask for your prayers,” he said. “I don’t know…. everything is still unclear.”
He noted that some people in other countries appear to be wondering about the fact that many Filipinos today attend mass in chapels inside shopping malls. “They cannot believe that evangelization can happen in commercial centers,” he said. “They cannot believe that every First Friday, there is mass in offices, banks.” This is probably the reason the Pope appointed him prefect of the Congregation of the Evangelization of Peoples, he said.
The nation’s prayers go with Cardinal Tagle as he assumes his new position in the Vatican where he will lead the Church’s worldwide evangelization efforts, drawing from his vast experience as archbishop of Manila, in the lone Christian nation in all of Asia.
