Tagle is pope’s special envoy to Congo Catholic event

MANILA, Philippines — Pope Francis has sent Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle as his special envoy to a Catholic event in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Tagle attended the third National Eucharistic Congress in Lubumbashi, south of the central African country, according to an article posted on the website of Vatican News.

He also visited the city of Goma in North Kivu province, which has been affected by civil war.

Tagle described how he saw “the joy in them, a joy which is mysterious because we know that is a people that suffers,” according to the transcript shared in the online article.

He added the joy he saw came from “the faith and the hope that they have in the Lord, which is what the Eucharist is really all about.”

Tagle also recalled he was “overwhelmed” by how residents of Goma – whom he described as “in a very dire and destitute situation just like in a refugee camp” – welcomed him.

The Catholic Church in Congo is “vibrant” and “very young,” he said.

He saw the “fruits” of Pope Francis’ previous visit to the country in February this year. “When I met with the clergy, with the religious, I told them: Please let us not allow the visit of the Holy Father to just be a piece of memory. No! Let it be transformed into a pastoral and missionary program,” he said.

“I hope this will bring to the Synod and to the whole Church, now focused on synodality, bring this energy, upsurge of energy to the rest of the world. But at the same time, in the spirit of synodality, I hope the international community – beginning with the local churches outside of Congo – will listen to the cries of the poor,” he added.

Tagle also serves as pro-prefect for the Dicastery for Evangelization, according to Vatican News. It is a department of the Roman Curia presided over by the pope.