According to John Allen Jr, Archbishop Timothy Dolan isn’t the only possible candidate to succeed Pope Benedict XVI. Allen says that “a striking number of people” around the world believe that Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle could one day be Pope.
“The big news from the Philippines has been the Oct. 13 appointment of Luis Antonio Tagle as the new Archbishop of Manila, putting him in line to become a cardinal the next time Benedict XVI hosts a consistory.
In church terms, Tagle is still a kid at 54, and he looks even younger. The story goes that back in the mid-1990s, when then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger introduced Tagle to Pope John Paul II as a new member of the Vatican’s International Theological Commission, Ratzinger jokingly assured the pope that the youthful-seeming Filipino had, in fact, received his first communion.
Youthfulness aside, a striking number of people who know Tagle believe that this is a guy who, one day, could be pope.
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Tagle is a gifted communicator, making him a highly sought-after speaker and media personality. He drew rave reviews for his performance at a 2008 International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec, where observers say he brought an entire stadium to tears. Vatican-watchers also rated him among the most impressive contributors to both the 2005 Synod on the Eucharist and the 2008 Synod on the Word of God.”
Read the whole article for a glimpse at this possible-Pope.
One thing I’m particularly excited about is that Archbishop Tagle is one of the world’s most active bishops online. He has a vibrant Facebook page and a rich YouTube channel where he uploads regular videos. For example, click below for his reflections on this Sunday’s gospel:
