Ponder Points: On The New Archbishop of Manila

I have this bias for leaders who know their philosophy, especially those who received philosophical education during their formation years. And this is such because, as a student of philosophy myself until now, I know that philosophy still has an important place in everyday life, in all its domains. It something has to offer on the table where intentions, goals, and plans meet to come up with decision. It serves as a reminder that what is important in the ends is that the dignity and welfare of the human being is preserved and promoted, towards building a just society where

As an undergraduate, I have looked upon Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle as an ideal figure. He did really well as a philosophy student. As a seminarian, he graduated summa cum laude in a prestigious institution which, at that time, is technical and is far from its present existential phenomenological tradition. He went on to study theology and did even better in it, eventually becoming one of the rising theologians of our time.

But more than that, Archbishop Tagle has been hailed as a servant of and for the poor and the common. Apart from his duties as an educator of theology, he took what he learned to the streets and encountered their lives, problems, and concerns. And I believe that after his success in Cavite, it is time for him to lead in Manila, considered as the center of almost everything in the Philippines, and it is a different flock. It is here where different groups clash with each other, where their decisions affect not only the city itself but other places in the nation that are linked to it. It is here that different ways of thinking encounter each other.

And I believe, without any trace of doubt, that the new shepherd will do well. Cardinal Rosales has already laid the foundations in the exercise of Christian charity despite some limitations, and I believe that Archbishop Tagle can continue and even go beyond what has been started. It is indeed a good time for him to lead the faithful of this city, in a time where the Church faces the pressure of standing its own ground and opening itself up for dialogue regarding the concern of the nation and the government, especially on matters regarding reproductive health, in a time where political and economic turmoil presents a threat to the well-being of the Filipino citizen, in a time where poverty and unequal opportunities bring societies and communities down, with nothing to hold on, and in a time where people of the margins would want to be heard and spoken in behalf of. I believe that he is aware of these challenges, and he will do something about them, in the light of the Gospel of Love and Social Justice.

And perhaps, it is in here where we see how he will use his philosophy and theology, taking them not only in the streets, but also in dialogue, consensus-building, as well as in the rebuilding of the Church and the nation in general.

Congratulations and welcome, Archbishop Tagle!

Credits to the official site of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila for the pic.