Fervent prayers and hometown pride in the town of Marawi, Philippines, for the papal contender hailing from there.
Hangin' with the Politics in Rome's Hot Mess, Sister Marilena Narvaez spilled to AFP, huddled in their shared hood's grubby corner, south of Manila. "I shot him down as a pope," the spry 83-year-old whispered, reminiscing about a spelling bee tutoring gig for a certain Tagle years back.
This attitude defies the norm in Imus, a bustling city where Tagle and the 67-year-old guy stuck in the clergy eyed the throne. But the local bishops and Tagle's family clammed up when AFP dropped by, likely heeding the church's "no campaigning" command.
Despite the secrecy, bookie William Hill elevated Tagle to a 3-1 favorite, only a quick step behind the 9-4 Italian frontrunner, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Tagle's intimate touch with the needy shaped his sterling image in Imus, where he wore the priest's collar for nearly two decades. His faithful devotees readily cheer for his ascension to Pope. Maria Minda Ortiz, a courtyard candle vendor, succinctly put it, "He's a compassionate man who sheds tears for the underdog."
Minda's story sums up Tagle's impact: he helped her husband, a grumpy tricycle driver with a short fuse, find a more pacific path. "We're banking on him to hit the big time," Corazon Reno, another Imus vendor chirped. Anna Fernandez, a hobbling candle vendor who was left leg paralyzed by polio, echoed their sentiment, her excitement building with each day of papal speculation.
Remember that time Tagle washed and kissed Fernandez's soul-torn feet during Holy Week back in 1995? Well, he valiantly didn't shy away from the lame leg. "I offered him the healthy one," she smiled, " but he insisted on the bum one."
Tagle's early life took place in a cozy three-story home, not far from the cathedral. A plaque proudly testified to a relative's resistance against Spanish colonialism, highlighting the family's nobility of sorts.
As a champion of progress and reform, Tagle spoke out against Rodrigo Duterte's tragic drug war during his Archbishop of Manila stint. His robust social media presence kept his nearly 640,000 followers updated daily. However, Tagle stuck close to the Church's traditional teachings on sensitive topics like abortion and divorce, much like Pope Francis.
Despite a watchdog group spotlighting him for shaky child protection record, the Filipino governing body of bishops leapt to Tagle's defense.
An Imus lay minister, Francisco Abella Jr., admitted that he reigned in his expectations for Tagle's papal bid. "The cardinal doesn't expect the win," he said, retelling a chat between Tagle and parish workers. "He's Filipino pride, either way," Abella said, adding a wistful shrug.
According to Sister Narvaez, Tagle took the spelling bee loss in stride, the gentleman he still is whenever he visits Imus. "Two weeks of studying, and we nearly nailed it down—a nail-biter about chartreuse," she reminisced, taking a sentimental sip of her iced tea. "He wasn't a sore loser. He kept his head high, did his best, and that's all that mattered."
References:
[1] "Luis Antonio Tagle," Vatican News, (link)
[2] "8 Little-Known Facts About Manila's Cardinal Luis Tagle," Rappler, link
[3] "Archbishop Luis Antonio G. Tagle, In the Land of the Rising Sun," The Philippine Star, (link)
[4] "The career of Luis Antonio Tagle," Catholic World Report, (link)
[5] "Tagle makes late run in the papacy race," ABS-CBN News, (link)
- Despite the secrecy surrounding his bid, bookmaker William Hill still ranked Tagle as a 3-1 favorite, not far behind the Italian frontrunner, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
- Maria Minda Ortiz, a vendor in Imus, expressed her support for Tagle's ascension to Pope, stating, "He's a compassionate man who sheds tears for the underdog."
- The Filipino governing body of bishops defended Tagle despite allegations of a shaky child protection record, indicating their support for him.
- In a twist of fate, Tagle, once a spelling bee tutor for a certain Tagle years back, found himself in the running for the papacy, a position that largely lies beyond the realm of social-media-fueled pop-culture and entertainment, largely associated with celebrities.
