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Editor’s Note: Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, former pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, is one of the three Filipino cardinals participating in the conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor.
This profile, written by the late Rappler journalist Aries Rufo, was published by Newsbreak on January 23, 2002, a decade before Tagle became the 32nd Manila archbishop and the seventh Filipino cardinal. Parts of this article, depicting Tagle’s simplicity and love for the poor, have since been cited by Vatican analysts in naming Tagle a papabile in the 2013 and 2025 conclaves.
Rappler is republishing this as part of Pope Watch, its 2025 conclave coverage.
Early one morning in a small barrio here, barangay officials heaved a sigh of relief when the tricycle that was sent to pick up the priest who was to say the traditional Simbang Gabi finally arrived. It was past 4 am and the chapel was already packed with people.
As soon as the man in white alighted from the tricycle, the barangay officials who met him knew he wasn’t the parish priest that they were expecting. Smiling and sorry for the delay, the surprise guest turned out to be the newly installed bishop of Cavite, Luis Antonio Tagle.
Recovering from their initial surprise, the officials rushed to welcome the bishop and apologized for the austere preparations. Tagle told them not to worry; the priest they were expecting had fallen ill so he decided to say Mass himself.
And instead of using his service car, Tagle chose to take the tricycle that was sent for the other priest.
Later in his homily, Tagle reminded the parishioners he was there to serve them, not to be served. They went home that day with a lesson in humility from their bishop. And they talked about it no end until the story reached the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in Manila.
“It was so like him,” said CBCP secretary-general Pedro Quitorio. “He is a simple man living up to his faith.”
A reluctant bishop
Tagle does not act at all like a bishop — if we go by the standards of what many bishops do. Soft-spoken and gentle, he’s a simple, no-frills dresser who does not have the air of someone who wields power.
He was not too keen on becoming a bishop; friends say he agonized over the decision. In October 2001, Tagle received a call from the papal nuncio informing him that he would soon be named bishop, chosen by the Pope to replace retired Imus Bishop Manuel Sobreviñas. Tagle asked for time to reflect on the offer, but eventually accepted it.
“I said I was accepting the position not because I want it but out of obedience and love for the Church,” Tagle told Newsbreak.
Danny Huang, a Jesuit priest close to Tagle, said: “He had no ambition of becoming a bishop. He knew it was a big responsibility and he had doubts about his capacity.”
But many said Tagle had long ago caught the attention of the Vatican and CBCP officials. He has indeed come a long way from his youth, when he was less certain about what he wanted to be.
Like Jose Rizal?
Tagle went to the San Jose Seminary and the Ateneo de Manila University where he finished his philosophy studies, graduating summa cum laude in 1977.
It is said that his grades rivaled those of national hero Jose Rizal and the great Jesuit historian Horacio de la Costa, but Tagle dismisses that as a “rumor.”
He had wanted to become a doctor but exposure to Church activities during his senior year in high school made him change his mind. Imus priest Redentor Corpus and the late Imus Bishop Felix Perez, whom he admired for their “dedication to service,” were the major influences in his life.
But his entry to the seminary was a result of a joke played on him by a parish priest here where he grew up. The priest had advised Tagle to take the scholarship exams for Ateneo. He later found out that the test he took was for aspiring seminarians at San Jose Seminary. He flunked the test, although he passed the Ateneo entrance exams.
The setback did not discourage him, however. He tried to convince San Jose administrators to accept him and, after several tries, he was finally accepted on probation for one semester.
A world-class theologian
Tagle was ordained priest in 1982 and his first assignment was the town of Mendez, also in this province. Further studies beckoned, however, and in 1988, he was sent by the CBCP to study at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC where he took his licentiate and doctorate in sacred theology. In between, he went to Rome for his thesis.
When he came home, Tagle was appointed rector of the Tahanan ng Mabuting Pastol seminary in Tagaytay. At the same time, he taught theology at the Ateneo’s Loyola School of Theology and the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay. He was also named consultor of the CBCP Commission on the Doctrine of Faith and member of the exclusive International Theological Commission in Vatican City, which advises the Pope on matters of faith.
The last two posts show how highly Tagle is regarded by the princes of the Church, both here and abroad. His grasp of matters of faith and theology has so impressed foreign bishops that he is a sought-after speaker at international seminars and conferences. Local bishops asked him to conduct retreats and seminars for them even when he was just a priest.
In 1998, he was appointed parish priest in Imus. It was then that word spread that he would soon replace Bishop Sobreviñas, who was up for retirement.
On December 12, 2001, with six others, Tagle was ordained bishop, one of the youngest of the batch at the age of 44. In attendance were Taiwan Cardinal Paul Shan, dozens of foreign priests, and hundreds of local priests.
Bishop of the poor
In his speech following the ordination, Tagle appealed to the overflow crowd to help and teach him become a good bishop, recalled Father Danny Paraiso, parish priest in Imus and Tagle’s close friend. “It was a call for humility and simplicity.”
Although he comes from a well-to-do family, Tagle has opted to live as simply as possible. Tagle still commutes by bus from Ateneo to Tagaytay, and does not have his own car.
“Despite his international stature, he does not mind taking the bus or the jeepney for short trips. For him, it’s not the manner how you get to your destination as long as you get there.”
The bishop explained that taking public transportation is his way of maintaining his connection with the poor. “It keeps me in contact with the realities of life. It is good for us priests to know what’s going on. It’s so easy to be detached when you’re [already] a priest,” he said.
So attuned is the bishop with the sufferings of the poor that the poor sometimes get embarrassed themselves when they encounter him.
Consortia Labrera, 54, who sells candles in front of Imus Cathedral, said Tagle sometimes invites beggars outside the cathedral to eat with him. Once, she was looking for her blind husband and found him having lunch with the new bishop. His encounters with the poor, Tagle said, help him simplify even the most complex theological subjects and bring them to the level of the common tao (person). Priests and bishops agree that his homilies and talks are so close to reality that they are amazed by his wealth of experience.
Most often, his listeners are moved to tears, sans the gimmickry employed by Father Sonny Ramirez and other charismatic leaders.
When he was appointed bishop, many expressed regret, believing he could touch more lives if he were allowed to roam more freely, rather than be confined to a single diocese.
A harsh critic
But there are those who argue that Tagle’s new role augurs well for the Church, a church saddled by credibility and integrity problems. “I see a new dawn for the Catholic Church in the Philippines,” Monsignor Hernando Coronel said. “He can bring hope, courage, and fresh insights to our Church.”
Worth watching is how Tagle will help in bringing the Church back to the poor, and force the princes of the Church to reexamine themselves. Despite his obedience and loyalty to the Church, Tagle is also one of its harshest critics.
Often, his homilies are peppered with critiques of the Church and the clergy and their excesses, sparing no one. For instance, in Ternate, Cavite, a week ago, he deplored how some members of the clergy wallow in self-importance, especially when they get to higher posts.
“I am loyal to the Church but I am not also blind,” he told Newsbreak. “We must also indulge in self-criticism to bring us back to the poor.” Tagle says the foremost challenge for the Church is how to bring down the Church to the ordinary “who feel alienated.”
Sadly, he said, abuses and excesses have created a wide gap between the Church and the people. “We must rediscover our connection with the poor. We must examine why they feel so ‘out’ when the Church is for them.” To Tagle, “Edsa 3” was a sign that the poor are no longer with the Church.
CBCP officials are hoping that Tagle, along with the new young bishops, will reinvigorate the Church and help it rediscover its roots. – Rappler.com
