Philippine Cardinal Tagle Becomes ‘Rock Star’ As Conclave Ramps Up

Is Cardinal Tagle about to become the next Pope?

By Brian Hews

He’s the most popular Cardinal on Facebook and his homilies are among the most searched for on YouTube, and with a huge fan base here in the Southern California area, Luis Antonio Tagle, the archbishop of Manila is becoming a sentimental favorite to become the next Pope and head of the Roman Catholic Church.

Sounds far-fetched, but experts are beginning to say that history could be made in Rome during the next several days.

Cardinal Tagle, who is from the Philippines was born back in 1957 in Manila and is now at still relatively young age of 55.

He is the second youngest in the College of Cardinals and his mother, who is originally from China, attended the consistory where he was made Cardinal.

Roman Catholic Churches in Artesia, Norwalk, La Mirada, and Bellflower have large influential Catholic parishes, and many local Priest hail from the Manila area and many have even resorted to holding pray vigils in hopes of Tagle’s succession to become the next Pope.

Tagle’s meteoric rise in the Catholic College of Cardinals has jaws dropping around Rome these days.  Could he become the first “Asian Pope?”

One journalist in Manila wrote this week in an online blog: “The Filipino prelate’s chances are considered remote, as many believe that Latin America or Africa — with their faster growing Catholic flocks — would be more logical choices if the papal electors look beyond Europe. But even the hint of papal consideration has electrified many in the heavily Catholic Philippines, where past pontiffs had been welcomed by millions with rock-star intensity.”

Several prominent Vatican experts see Tagle emerging as a huge sentimental favorite to replace the aged Pope Benedict who stepped down officially last week due to advanced age and deteriorating health.

Tagle has boyish-looking features, and has a zest, stamina, charisma and communications skills that could literally take the Roman Catholic faithful into a new era and realm.

John Thavis, a Vatican analyst and author of “The Vatican Diaries,” said the 1979 selection of Polish-born John Paul II in 1979 shows the “unthinkable” can occur once the cardinals are closed off in the conclave.

“There are people, even Vatican officials here, who have whispered to me, ‘Tagle, he’s the man,'” Thavis told AP Television News.

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• Filipino cardinal stirs papal talk with rapid rise
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