New Manila archbishop emotional during installation rites

MANILA, Philippines - The 32nd Archbishop of Manila broke down in tears, not once but twice, during installation rites yesterday morning at the Manila Cathedral.

The 54-year-old Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio “Chito” Tagle was overcome with emotion and had to pause twice while reading his 27-minute homily.

The first time he cried was while he was expressing gratitude to his parents, Manuel Sr. and Milagros, and brother Manuel Jr. who were all present during the Rite of Liturgical Reception Eucharistic Celebration and Canonical Possession.

He said his family “has always provided a haven of love and commitment.”

The archbishop’s mother said she never thought that her son would become the Archbishop of Manila but witnessing the installation might have been a sign that it was God who chose him for the position. Seeing her son cry was also a realization of the heavy responsibility that lies ahead of him.

Tagle’s brother Manuel said, “We are very proud of him but there are a lot of challenges so we need a lot of prayers. We need a lot of strength for him because he would be facing many problems.”

The second instance the new archbishop cried was when he narrated about the maternal love of Mother Mary.

In his homily, he said that while yesterday marked his installation as head of the Archdiocese of Manila, the faithful should focus on the “One mightier than all of us, Jesus Christ, the Risen One and the True Shepherd of the Church. My episcopal motto says it plainly, ‘Dominus Est! It is the Lord!’”

He reminded the people to always follow the teachings of the Lord.

International event

Meanwhile, a former military ordinariate yesterday said that the turnover rites at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) should have been postponed, or at the least delayed, so that President Aquino could have attended the installation of Tagle.

Batangas Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said the AFP turnover should not have coincided with the installation of the 32nd Archbishop of Manila since the latter was an “international event and they could postpone the AFP turnover tomorrow.”

He said Aquino’s absence at the installation of Tagle might be perceived as an indication that he (Aquino) “is not interested.”

He said that even if the AFP made an appointment with the President ahead of the invitation for Tagle’s installation, it is still not an acceptable excuse.

It seemed “it was not his priority, which we understand… We must pray for him,” he said.

Tagle refused to comment on the issue, saying, “I cannot force anyone.”

But while Aquino was absent during Tagle’s installation, his three sisters – Maria Elena “Ballsy” Aquino-Cruz, Aurora Corazon “Pinky” Aquino-Abellada, and Victoria Elisa “Viel” Aquino-Dee – were around.

Dee said they went to the installation on their own. She also expressed her congratulations to Tagle.

“We are really very happy with his assumption into this new position,” she said.

Wrong website

Also yesterday, there was slight confusion when those browsing for the live streaming of the installation of Tagle landed on a porn site.

The correct website was www.tvmaria.net but browsers were directed to www.tvmaria.com, a pornography site.

A check on the website showed an image of a scantily clad transvestite lying on a sofa, inviting the public to enter the website.

The incorrect website was reportedly put up last Friday. Since Sunday, the Archdiocese of Manila has been trying to rectify the error by informing the media about the correct link.