New Manila archbishop takes ‘seat of leadership’ Monday

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle formally takes possession of the archdiocese during solemn installation rites at the Manila Cathedral Monday.

Fr. Reginald Malicdem, private secretary of outgoing Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, said Tagle’s installation at 9 a.m. will be preceded by a “karakol” dance-procession that will start at San Agustin Church. The procession will be joined by more than 1,500 priests, religious men and women, and lay faithful from Tagle’s previous diocese of Imus.

“This is the symbolic accompanying of the Caviteños of Archbishop Tagle,” Malicdem told reporters in a press briefing. The karakol participants will pass by the Arzobispado (Archbishop’s Residence) where Tagle is set to join them before proceeding to the cathedral.

In front of the cathedral, there will be a civic reception by the mayors of the five cities covered by the archdiocese—Manila, Pasay, Makati, Mandaluyong and San Juan. The mayors, Malicdem said, will hand over to Tagle the symbolic keys to their cities “signifying the cooperation and collaboration of Church and civic authorities in the promotion of the common good and the pursuit of peace and justice.”

Tagle will then enter the doors of the cathedral, where two auxiliary bishops and the cathedral’s rector will escort him through rites of liturgical reception before the actual canonical installation begins.

Tagle, 54, is the 32nd archbishop of Manila, considered the principal see of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. He is also the fourth Filipino archbishop, the first Manila archbishop to be named by Pope Benedict XVI, and the youngest archbishop of Manila since Irish-born Michael James O’Doherty, who was only 42 when he was appointed in 1916.

Pope’s letter

Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, the previous administrator of the Archdiocese of Manila, will begin the formal turnover with a celebration of the Eucharist, greeting the people gathered for the occasion. The Pope’s letter appointing Tagle the new archbishop will be shown and read, said Fr. Carmelo Arada, also of the liturgical affairs ministry.

Tagle will then be led to the “cathedra” or his chair, Arada explained, adding, “With the reform of the liturgy in the Second Vatican Council, the cathedra of the bishop has come to signify his seat of leadership, no longer a throne.”

The archbishop will then be greeted by members of the clergy, religious men and women, the faithful, and representatives of civil authority.

Respect and obedience

“This signifies the respect and obedience the people of God ought to render the chief shepherd of the archdiocese,” Arada said.

The new archbishop will then preside over the celebration of the Eucharist, he said.

“The culmination of the celebration is his [presiding] over the Eucharistic celebration for it is here that the office of bishop as teacher, sanctifier and pastor of his Church shines forth most clearly in a liturgy that he celebrates with his people,” Arada said.

The installation ceremonies will be streamed live on the Internet on two websites (https://www.tvmaria.net and https://www.quiapochurch.net).

The Pope accepted Rosales’ resignation and appointed Tagle as his successor on October 13.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Tagle’s installation coincides with the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the same day he was ordained a bishop by Rosales’ predecessor, the late Jaime Cardinal Sin, 10 years ago.

Born on June 21, 1957, Tagle was ordained to the priesthood on Feb. 27, 1982 at the age of 25. On Oct. 22, 2001, he was named bishop of Imus, which covers Cavite province.

Tagle took his philosophy and theology studies at San Jose Major Seminary at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City. He earned his doctorate in Sacred Theology at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., where he studied from 1985 to 1992.

He has been a member of the International Theological Commission of the Vatican since 1997, and sat as an expert at the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for Asia in Rome.