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Filipino coworker of Tagle says 'big gain for world' if selected as next pope

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Reuters Wires

<div><br/></div><p>Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is sometimes called the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/4/30/tagle-the-asian-francis-is-papal-contender-1048">&quot;Asian Francis&quot;</a> due to his infectious smile, easy laugh, and spontaneity with words.</p><p>Like the late Argentine pope, he hails from a country far from the Catholic Church&#x27;s traditional power base of Europe and came to Rome with an outsider&#x27;s view.</p><p>Emmanuel Alfonso, a former student of Cardinal Tagle at the Loyola School of Theology and former coworker at the Jesuit Communications Philippines, said Tagle has an ability to connect with people distinct from others.</p><p>&quot;When he gives sermons, he&#x27;s always teary-eyed, he cries, because he is always speaking from the heart, you know, so he&#x27;s that sincere,&quot; he told Reuters on Monday (May 5) during an interview from his office in Manila.</p><p>Some who have put Tagle on unofficial short lists for the next pope say he would be a shoo-in to succeed Francis if cardinal electors who enter the secret conclave on Wednesday (May 7) are looking for as close a similarity as possible in order to assertively continue Francis&#x27; progressive streak.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/6/suv-driver-in-naia-tragedy-tests-negative-for-drugs-alcohol-1839">Filipino schoolmate of &#x27;brilliant&#x27; Cardinal Tagle recounts youth with the papal candidate</a></div><p>&quot;They work well together, they became very close because they are very similar. They are very sincere people, sincere leaders, charismatic, very pastoral, people oriented. So I am very happy that people are realising that,&quot; said Alfonso.</p><p>As archbishop of Manila, and before as bishop of the Philippine city of Imus, Tagle, who is sometimes referred to by his diminutive nickname &quot;Chito,&quot; gained pastoral experience in running dioceses in Asia&#x27;s largest Catholic country. By bringing him to the Vatican in 2020, Francis gave him one more notch in experiences seen as helpful to papal candidates.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/23/filipino-faithful-urged-to-refrain-from-campaigning-for-cardinal-tagle-as-next-pope-0013">Filipino faithful urged to refrain from &#x27;campaigning&#x27; for Cardinal Tagle as next Pope</a></div><p>When Tagle hosted Francis for a visit to the Philippines in 2014, the visit drew the largest crowds in the history of papal travel, including a Mass that attracted up to 7 million people.</p><p>If Tagle were elected, it would also likely signal to the world&#x27;s 1.4 billion Catholics that the cardinals want to go forward with Francis&#x27; vision of generally opening up the Church to the modern world by not choosing a man who might roll back some of the late pope&#x27;s reforms.</p><p>Alfonso says that Tagle would not only be representative of Asia, but also the global South, as he would bring &quot;more basic, more gut problems&quot; to the table, like poverty and education.</p><p>&quot;We will loose him to the world if he becomes Pope. But of course, whatever the world needs, and whatever the (Holy) Spirit wants, so we surrender, you know... He will be a big loss to the Philippines, but a big gain for the world,&quot; said Alfonso.</p><p>Unlike Francis, Tagle also enjoys a global reputation as a theologian, which could help him gain votes from moderate cardinals concerned by some of Francis&#x27; off the cuff utterances, which led to what some called confusion about Church teachings.</p><div><em>(Production: Adrian Portugal)</em></div>

<p>Emmanuel Alfonso, a former student of Cardinal Tagle at the Loyola School of Theology and former coworker at the Jesuit Communications Philippines, said Tagle has an ability to connect with people distinct from others.</p>

Emmanuel Alfonso, a former student of Cardinal Tagle at the Loyola School of Theology and former coworker at the Jesuit Communications Philippines, said Tagle has an ability to connect with people distinct from others.

Filipino coworker of Tagle says 'big gain for world' if selected as next pope

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Filipino coworker of Tagle says 'big gain for world' if selected as next pope

Reuters

Published May 07, 2025 12:28 PM PHT

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pope francis

catholic church

religion

Luis Antonio Tagle

emmanuel alfonso

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