Tagle back in Manila, calls for national unity

MANILA, Philippines - Newly appointed Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle returned to the country yesterday from Rome where he attended the Synod of Bishops.

Manila Archbishop Tagle, at 55 the world’s youngest cardinal, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 around noon and was welcomed by his parents Manuel and Milagros, and Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Jose Honrado.

Tagle told The STAR that his appointment is not only an honor for him but for the whole country.

“This serves as a call for us to unite, and one way of showing our gratitude is to take seriously our mission as Christians and Catholics,” he said.

Filipino Catholics are nearly unanimous in their expectations that Tagle will be the ideal leader of the Catholic Church in the Philippines as it enters the third millennium.

Tagle, known for his humility, is the country’s seventh cardinal, joining among others, retired Archbishops Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.

Pope Benedict XVI will formally install Tagle as a cardinal on Nov. 24.