Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle Bechara Boutros Rai, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites in Lebanon (far left), Nigeria’s Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan (center) and Philippines Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle (right) attend a consistory presided by Pope Benedict XVI inside St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Nov. 24, 2012.
Manila- The elevation of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle to the College of Cardinals by Pope Benedict XVI will make the Filipino Prelate a “potential future Pope,” Italian Journalist Andrea Tornielli in her write-up in the Vatican Insider, said. Tagle was one of the six new cardinals named by Benedict XVI to the elite club of Churchmen who will elect the next Pope. “The Filipino Archbishop has become a potential candidate for the papacy but 52% of electing cardinals are still europeans,” Tornielli said. Cardinal Tagle, 55 years old, is “an emerging figure in the Asian Episcopate and a potential future pope…” The Pontiff formally elevated Tagle, together with 5 other new cardinals, at an elaborate ceremony held in the Vatican Saturday. The other new cardinals are Archbishop James Michael Harvey of USA; Abuja, Nigeria Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan; Bogota, Colombia Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez; Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites in Lebanon, His Beatitude Bechara Boutros Rai; and Indian Major Archbishop , His Beatitude Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal. The Cardinals are ones who elect a Pope. (The Visayan Daily Star and PNA)