Cardinal Tagle to student-priests in Rome: Remain humble, childlike

Cardinal Tagle to student-priests in Rome: Remain humble, childlike

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila poses for a photograph with priests residing at Pontificio Collegio Filippino (PCF) in Rome, October 6, 2018.

By Fr. Nathaniel Gentizon

October 9, 2018

Rome, Italy

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila has reminded Filipino priests studying in Rome to remain humble and childlike.

Speaking before priests residing at Pontificio Collegio Filippino (PCF), in time for academic opening, he said that the mystery of God is greater than man’s immense knowledge.

“You will become experts in your respective areas of study but remember that the Truth who is Jesus is far greater than any of our knowledge, than any of our expertise,” Cardinal Tagle said in his homily at the Mass of the Holy Spirit at Casa Divin Maestro, Arricia’s chapel on Oct. 6,

Reflecting on the first reading from the Book of Job, he said that the latter is a man of humility.

“Even in the midst of his sufferings, he never uttered something that could amount to cursing God,” he said, adding that Job learned humility from being humiliated before the wisdom of God.

The cardinal recalled some great saints and great doctors like St. Thomas Aquinas, who believed before God, they were nothing.

Referring to the Gospel, he said that Jesus praises God for revealing the mysteries of the Kingdom not to the learned but to the little ones.

“Only the little ones will be open to be taught by God and will be opened to the mystery that God wants to reveal,” Cardinal Tagle said in explaining that only with the heart of a child, people will see what God reveals.

He also advised those who experience boredom in academic works to check their hearts.

“Go back to be a child. You might be losing your childlikeness, your capacity to be surprised by what God wants to reveal,” he said.

He also told the priests of other benefits of being like a child in their studies.

“You will enjoy even the most boring of classes and you will appreciate even the most boring professors,” he added.

There are 33 priests-students residing at the PCF for this formation year 2018-2019. They specialize in Theology, Philosophy, Canon Law, Sacred Scriptures, Liturgy, History, Patristics, Communications and other fields, taking up either Licentiate or Doctoral degrees at different Pontifical Universities in Rome.