THE CRYING CARDINAL

On Saturday the Roman Catholic Bishop of Rome made Luis Antonio Tagle, the Archbishop of Manilla, a cardinal. 

Luis' nickname is "Chito". My Filipino friends tell me that Chito is a pet name and has no english translation.  However in Italian and Spanish it seems to mean the free one and is often used in Spain and Italy as a short name for the English name Francis.

I have watched several video interviews with Chito and he comes across extremely well. Those who know him say he is a very gifted theologian and is also famous for his humility. At 55 he is the second youngest cardinal in the world. From now until he is 80 he will be entitled to vote in papal elections. 

Could he be pope? Certainly he could be. Would he make a good pope ?  He certainly cant be any worse that many others who have been popes. 

At least he smiles and on TV this weekend he says that he cries very easily. Latinos do laugh and cry easily. They wear their hearts on their sleeves.

And the Roman Catholic Church certainly needs a good "crier" as its head. It has an awful lot to cry about. 

But we need bishops and priests who will not cry for themselves but for all the church's victims and not only the victims of sexual abuse. There are also the millions of victims around the world and over the years who have been saddened, abused, condemned, outlawed, by the abuse of power in the Roman Church and by its servants.

I'm not expecting Chito to make any difference either in Manilla or in Rome. He is a conservative Roman Catholic theologian and bishop.

I would really love it if he proves me wrong.

Bishop Pat Buckley

26.11.2012

RIGHT OF REPLY TO FATHER GERARD MOLONEY CSsR

Yesterday my blog was in response to Father Gerard Moloney's defence of priests. Today I have sent Father Gerard a copy of my blog offering him the right of reply on this blog - and a reply that I will publish ABSOLUTELY UNEDITED.

Watch this space

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