December 10, 2019
Cardinal Tagle
President Garvey sent a letter today to Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, congratulating him on his appointment as Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
 
The congregation, sometimes referred to as Propaganda Fide, oversees the Church’s missionary work and mission territories. Most of the Catholic dioceses in Africa, Asia, and Oceania are considered mission territories. 
 
“Congratulations on your appointment as the Prefect for the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. We rejoice in the Holy Father’s confidence in you to oversee the Church’s missionary works and its mission territories,” wrote President Garvey. “You have made your alma mater proud throughout your many years of service to the Church.”
 
Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle was born in Manila in 1957, and ordained to the priesthood in 1982. He earned a doctorate in sacred theology from The Catholic University of America in 1987.
 
While studying at Catholic University, he wrote his dissertation under the direction of Father Joseph A. Komonchak, who described Father Tagle as “one of the best students I had in over 40 years of teaching.” 
 
After his studies, Father Tagle was appointed rector of the seminary in the Diocese of Imus in the Philippines. In 2002, St. John Paul II appointed him as bishop of Imus, and in 2011 Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Archbishop of Manila. A year later he was raised to the rank of cardinal.
 
In 2014, Catholic University awarded him a Doctorate in Humanities honoris causa. He was the celebrant and homilist at the Baccalaureate Mass.
 
Cardinal Tagle delivered the annual Cardinal Dearden Lecture at the School of Theology and Religious Studies at Catholic University in 2015. He spoke on the 50th anniversary of Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (one of four main constitutions of the Second Vatican Council).
 
He serves as president of Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of 165 Catholic relief, development, and social service organizations, and as president of the Catholic Biblical Federation.
 
President Garvey added: “You have been a genuine and effective advocate for the poor, the marginalized, and the stranger. Thank you for your leadership, and for being a powerful witness of the Gospel.
 
“On behalf of the entire community of The Catholic University of America, I offer our congratulations, prayers, and support."
 
Cardinal Tagle’s appointment was announced Dec. 8. He will take up his new post early in 2020.
 
The full text of the letter is below.
 
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Dear Cardinal Tagle,
 
Congratulations on your appointment as the Prefect for the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. We rejoice in the Holy Father’s confidence in you to oversee the Church’s missionary works and its mission territories.
 
You have made your alma mater proud throughout your many years of service to the Church, most recently as the Archbishop of Manila and as president of both Caritas Internationalis and the Catholic Biblical Federation. You have been a genuine and effective advocate for the poor, the marginalized, and the stranger. Thank you for your leadership, and for being a powerful witness of the Gospel.
 
On behalf of the entire community of The Catholic University of America, I offer our congratulations, prayers, and support.
 
Sincerely,
John Garvey
President

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