Cardinal Tagle eyed as next head of Caritas international

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle extends his hand in blessing detainees at the Manila Police District headquarters. RAFFY LERMA/INQUIRER

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle is expected to be elected as the new president of Caritas Internationalis next week, a report by the Catholic News Agency said.

Caritas, an international confederation of charities with 164 member-organizations, is set to elect its new head and secretary general on May 12 to 17, coinciding with the group’s 20th general assembly.

Citing two unnamed sources who work in the Vatican charities, the report said Tagle was considered a candidate for the top post earlier this year.

‘Other candidate stepping aside’

“The Filipino cardinal has been widely appreciated for his work carried out with local Caritas agencies in the face of frequent typhoons hitting the island nation,” the report reads, adding that another contender for the presidency, a Maronite bishop, “will remove himself from the running” so Tagle will be the lone candidate.

As Manila archbishop, Tagle is also the chair of Caritas Manila, the social services arm of the archdiocese.

Incumbent Caritas Internationalis president Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa is due to step down this year after serving two consecutive terms from 2007 to 2011 and 2011 to 2015.

“Since a 2012 reform of its statues, candidates for the posts of president, secretary general, and treasurer are to be submitted for approval by the Pope, and once he has acceded they can be presented to the general assembly for a vote,” the report added.

As announced by the Vatican last March, Tagle has also been tapped by Pope Francis to assume the presidency of the Catholic Biblical Federation. He was also one of the three delegate presidents of the Synod of Bishops on the Family in October last year.

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“Once regarded as a papabile (candidate for papacy), this (Caritas presidency) is an important phase in the Cardinal’s life,” a report by Catholic station Radyo Veritas said.

With the theme “One Human Family, Caring for the Creation,” the Caritas assembly will also include a Eucharistic celebration to be led by the Pope himself on its opening day.

Established in 1951, the Rome-based Caritas Internationalis is considered to be the largest social arm of the Catholic Church in the world.

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