Cardinal Tagle: Pope Francis enjoys universal appeal in Asia

(Vatican Radio)  Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila says Pope Francis has a “universal appeal”  that even non-believers can readily identify with.  Speaking to Vatican Radio’s Sean Patrick Lovett during Pope Francis’apostolic journey to Korea for Asian Youth Day, Cardinal Tagle said Pope Francis has touched the hearts of Christians, Catholics and non-Christians in Asia.  “In my interaction with the non-Christians in the Philippines, I always hear… their admiration for Pope Francis.  Not that they did not appreciate the other popes, but I think that in this contemporary time, the simplicity, the down-to-earth approach of the Holy Father and the common language that he uses to impart the message of the Gospel, I think gives some sort of universal appeal to the Word of God as transmitted to us by Jesus and the Church.

Listen to Sean Patrick Lovett’s interview with Cardinal Tagle in Seoul:

In the interview, Cardinal Tagle explains how Asian Youth Day came about, why he thinks the Pope chose to go to Asia, and shares his hopes for Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to the Philippines.

“In Asia, we work always on something that is common – commonly-held. For that is where dialogue begins.  Before we talk of what difference shapes us, let us first work on what we hold in common.  And there’s a lot.  There’s a lot.  And we start with the words ‘common humanity’ – everyone understands the language of compassion.  Everyone understands the language of human dignity, of love, etc. And it seems that the way Pope Francis does it, not only through words but most especially through his gestures, (he) incarnates the Word of God in a very human and universal way…. They know that he is Catholic; they know that he is the head of the Catholic Church, that he does not belong to any other group. But the way he comes across to them is: ‘yes, this a Catholic but this is first and foremost a human being.  And he shares with us our common human condition.”

In a recent visit to Australia, Cardinal Tagle said he spoke to various Church leaders who told him the Church down-under is keen to know more about the Asian faithful who in growing numbers are becoming part of their parishes.  “They say many of our parish communities are kept alive by the Asian migrants and we want to get to know them better so that the Church, the receiving Church, could have a more welcoming attitude and a space to allow this expression of faith to take root in Australia and even become the future of the Church in Australia.” 

One Australian parish priest told Cardinal Tagle that the majority of his community now is Filippino.  “And even the trends among the young people: the Korean youth groups, singing groups, are making waves all over the world.  Even in fashion!  They set trends.  I believe that somehow that the center of gravity as it were is being felt here in Asia.  Positively and not so positively because of the natural disasters, the accidents and human-made disasters are also happening here in Asia and the quest for peace – the ways to dialogue.  They are all quite fertile here in Asia and so I think people are saying ‘if Asia is able to find the formula for these things, then that could be shared with the rest of the world.’