Tagle: Meeting with presidential bets part of pastoral care

MANILA, Philippines - Three potential rivals in next year’s presidential elections had a meeting with Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle last Monday.

Tagle, however, said the three hopefuls – Vice President Jejomar Binay, Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II and Sen. Grace Poe – did not discuss politics during the meeting.

In a one-paragraph statement, Tagle simply said there was “no political discussion” that took place.

The gathering was arranged by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) at the Archdiocese of Manila in Intramuros.

“It was organized by PPCRV as part of pastoral care not only of voters but also of potential candidates. The program was simple: evening prayer, dinner, meditation on humble servant leadership in the Bible and the role of servant leaders in promoting the common good,” Tagle said.

PPCRV national chairman Henrietta de Villa said Tagle reminded the three presidential hopefuls of what “leadership is all about.”

From the readings from the Bible, the Cardinal reminded them that “to be a servant, you must serve first” and “leadership is servant-hood.”

Tagle also told them that during the campaign period for the 2016 elections, the candidates should “give new honor to the campaign.”

De Villa said it was touching to see that throughout the prayer service, there was an “atmosphere of friendship” among the three hopefuls.

The Cardinal also reportedly told them that “we hope even when the rigors of the campaign reached fever pitch, that kind of atmosphere, that kind of interaction, among the three of them will remain so that the level of the campaign would be elevated (because the) people will also look for something like this.”

According to De Villa, there were just eight of them in the room and they sat around a rectangular-shaped table with the cardinal at the head.

“It was a happy atmosphere. The cardinal is a very relaxed person. You do not have to worry what you will say, you could really let your hair down,” De Villa said.