Cardinal Chito

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    IN TODAY’S times when there are no longer any heroes or idols left, it is refreshing to fi nd there are still a few admirable souls. Like Lot, we can still pray to God to spare us from the fate of Sodom and Gommorah.

    While it is so exasperating to find all these morons and crooks everywhere, we take refuge in viewing the situation as one big farce. God must have a terrific sense of humor. He made so many comedians and even placed them in the Senate, House and other government offices.

    Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle was in the recent news with the election of Pope Francis. Infact, he was known to be personally close to the resigned pope

    Benedict XVI who made him a cardinal and was even supposedly shortlisted to be a candidate to succeed him.

    It was probablly wishful thinking on the part of Filipinos, who wanted some degree of refl ection of their worth
    on the global scene. That is probably why we idolizeApl de Ap, Manny Pacquio, Cecile Licad, Lea Salonga and all these Hollywood stars with some Filipino blood. In Cardinal Tagle’s case, Filipinos probably wanted an inside connection to God, as usual.

    Cardinal Tagle or Cardinal Chito, as his friends call him, is a Jesuit, having studied at the Ateneo and the Loyola School of Theology.

    He has a record and a well earned reputation of billiance and intellectual depth and rigor.

    This has been recognized by the Vatican itself, which made him a member of high level Vatican Committees advising the Pope, Much more than this, Cardinal Chito is a good person, of immense humility, integrity and humanity.

    I had chance encounters with Cardinal Chito (when he was not yet Cardinal) when he officiated at the wedding of a good friend Ted Cruz’s son Teddy, where I was one of the ninongs. Being a teacher and a Jesuit product,
    I am usually bored during most sermons of priests (and more so, politicians) but Cardinal Chito’s sermon was brilliant.

    Likewise, recently, now already Cardinal Chito offi ciated at the 40th anniversary mass of the Development Accademy of the Philippines. This time, he was also succinct but very humble and very funny. He is human.

    A few days ago, Cardinal Chito was the guestspeaker of the Makati Business Club on the topic, “Inclusive Growth.” These are the business leaders andtop corporate officers of the country who probably got more than they expected. “Inclusive growth” is usually an economic and business topic and should be well understood by these “people of thought and wisdom in their respective businesses“.

    Cardinal Chito said that inclusive growth is about equal access to what is essential to human life- food, transportation, education, clean environment, life expectancy, working conditions, employment and housing.

    “We are not talking of surplus of luxury items, but basics to which many do not have access” The news item stated that the room fell silent and even the waiters stopped doing their rounds of serving food to the country’s biggest wealth managers.”

    I cannot add more to Cardinal Chito’s words and quote selectively,” growth including growth of business person is not just goods and services but respect for human rights, discipline, exercise of freedom, accountability,
    responsibility…are part of growth,” “It feels strange when you see all the external signs of growth like the buildings but behind these you fi nd people who do not experience their humanity… growth is about how people are growing in dignity, how they are blossoming in their potentials… because people are created in Gods image, they are not objects but created in the likeness of God.”

    Bravo Cardinal Chito! Pray for us.

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