IEC 2012: Archbishop Tagle holds RDS spellbound

In 2008 in Quebec, he had silenced a crowd of thousands with his words, in Dublin in 2012, he brought them to tears. On Saturday June 16^th, the penultimate day of the 50^th International Eucharistic Congress – Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Archbishop of Manila, Luis Tagle, led reflections on the theme, Communion in the Word through Mary.

And he began with the ordinary human experience of establishing communion, a connection with others. He said, “We see in our time so much exchange of words happening at high speed and across national boundaries. But unfortunately the world is as divided as ever. Why is communion not achieved in spite of the exchange of words? Because Jesus is not the word they share and receive.”

The Saturday morning catechesis was the second time the Filipino Church leader, who will turn 55 later this month, addressed pilgrims here in Dublin. From the platform of the central arena his usually warm and reassuring voice cracked as his spoke of the very real consequences of a break down in human communion:

“When financial wizards talk about ways of manipulating the economy for their own profit, you do not call that communion; that is corruption! When politicians talk to people about grand promises without intending to fulfil them, you do not call that communion; that is cheating! When the powerful 'negotiate' among themselves while neglecting the weak, you do not call that communion; that is oppression! When so-called enterprising persons deal with each other on how women and children could be profitable merchandise, you do not call that communion; that is slavery!”

He concluded, “When communion consists in Jesus who is the Word of Life then the common good becomes central. And that is pleasing to God’s eyes.”