Cindy Wooden’s deeply researched and crisply written portrait reveals a compelling church leader in tune with his times, a son of Vatican II deeply enmeshed with his people, a scholar with the smell of sheep with a deep affinity for the young and poor. In his humility, austerity, accessibility and prophetic courage, ’Chito’ Tagle is the Asian emblem of the Francis pontificate—and the one to watch in coming conclaves.
Austen Ivereigh, Author, The Great Reformer: Francis and the making of a radical pope
This book takes an insightful journey into the mind and heart of Cardinal Luis Tagle, one of Asia’s youngest and most dynamic Catholic leaders and a figure who looms large on the church’s horizon. It is a compact but revealing volume, with rich biographical detail and thought-provoking personal reflections. In Tagle’s vision, the modern church must engage people through humility, simplicity and, as the book’s subtitle states, ’learning by listening.’
John Thavis, Author of New York Times best-seller, The Vatican Diaries
As head of the Rome Bureau of the world’s premiere English Catholic News Service, Cindy Wooden has written a brilliant biography of one of the great lights of the Post-Conciliar Church. Cardinal Tagle has said: ’A person will always be deeper than any label. And no person, especially when talking about deep mysteries of love, marriage, relationships, can ever be labeled.’ But when you finish reading Wooden’s story of Chito, you cannot help but label him ’good.’ Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is a shepherd who not only has the smell of the sheep and the mind and heart of the Good Shepherd but the manner and courage of the Bishop of Rome. Francis and Chito are cut from the same cloth. Of all the WITNESS interviews I have ever done for our TV network, the moments with Cardinal Chito were among the most powerful and beautiful."
Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB, CEO, Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation, Canada; English Language Attaché, Holy See Press Office
