The Facebook Pope?

Singing Philippine cardinal, who uses social networking to spread the gospel, is Asia's leading contender to become the next pontiff

He's the singing Cardinal who uses Facebook to spread the word of the Lord, and he's now being tipped as a contender to become the first Asian Pope.

Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Asia's most prominent Roman Catholic leader, sings on stage, preaches on TV and reduces churchgoers to laughter and tears with his often light-hearted sermons.

With his down-to-earth, personable manner, Tagle, nicknamed 'Chito' by his adoring followers, seems a world apart from the conservative Cardinals and Bishops of Europe and North America.

His compassion for the poor and unassuming ways have impressed followers in his homeland, Asia's largest Catholic nation, and church leaders in the Vatican.

Despite this his chances of becoming Pontiff are considered remote, as many believe that Latin America or Africa - with their faster growing Catholic flocks - would be more logical choices if the papal electors look beyond Europe.

But even the hint of papal consideration has electrified many in the heavily Catholic Philippines, where past pontiffs had been welcomed by millions with rock-star intensity.

'It'll bring such immense glory to us and our country,' said Leo Matias, one of several waiters at a Chinese restaurant in Manila's suburban Quezon city who served dinner to Pope John Paul II when he visited in 1995.

The talks surrounding Tagle have been fueled by prominent Vatican experts, who see in the boyish-looking cardinal the religious zest, stamina, charisma and communications skills that could energize the church facing crises on many fronts.

John Thavis, a Vatican analyst and author of ' The Vatican Diaries,' said the selection of Polish-born John Paul II in 1979 shows the 'unthinkable' can occur once the cardinals are closed off in the conclave.

'There are people, even Vatican officials here, who have whispered to me, `Tagle, he's the man,'' Thavis told The Associated Press.

When asked about the papal buzz, Tagle demurred: 'Only a speculation.'

'He's an effective communicator and missionary at a time when Catholicism's highest internal priority is a new evangelization,' John Allen, a Romebased analyst, wrote for the National Catholic Reporter

'Tagle incarnates the dramatic growth of Catholicism outside the West, putting a face on the dynamic and relatively angst-free form of Catholicism percolating in the Southern Hemisphere,' he said.

'He would certainly be a symbol of the church in the emerging world, but given his intellectual and personal qualities, hardly a He also has proficient hollow one.' French and can say

Still, Tagle's relative youth - at 55, Mass in Latin. he's the second youngest among the But he prefers to cardinals - could be a liability. stay in the backCardinals could be reluctant to risk ground. giving the reins of the Vatican to 'He's not somebody someone who could reign for who sort of wants to, decades. by personality, put

The churchman who last caught himself at the center the deep adoration of many Filipino of the stage,' Arevalo Catholics was Cardinal Jaime Sin, said. ' Now, if he's who died in 2005. A beloved spiritual called to be in front, leader and he has all the capabilimoral comty of doing it.' pass, Sin Tagle was ordained helped rally in 1982 and became multitudes bishop in 2001 at an old cathedral, in the masabout a block from his family's home sive ' people in Imus just south of Manila. power' Aside from his church work, he revolts that taught theology in a hilltop semiousted two nary, where he lived for about two presidents, decades, staying in a room that had including no television or air-conditioning, dictator according to seminary staffers. Ferdinand Even as a bishop, Tagle did not Marcos in own a car. He took the bus or 'jeep1986. ney,' the popular working-class

Sin's minibus, to church and elsewhere. death left a He ate with workers and sang for a vacuum in church charity, impressing many the church with his baritone voice. saddled Tagle stood out for his powerful with the homilies. A few years ago, he started task of shepherding Catholics in a hosting a Sunday gospel show on TV, country plagued by poverty, diviwhere he preached and answered sions, crimes and long-raging questions. Staffers then opened a Muslim and Marxist insurgencies. Facebook page for him, which has

Unlike Sin, Tagle was not projumped to more than 120,000 followpelled by anyers.extraordinary events. But people who know him say that Tagle's path at some point crossed Tagle slowly carved a reputation for with the future pope, then-Cardinal simple, day-to-day acts that defined Joseph Ratzinger, who introduced him as a man of deep faith and intelhim to John Paul II and reportedly lect. assured the pontiff in jest that the

He's gifted with great communicaFilipino with a youthful face has tions skills. A wonderful storyteller received his first communion. with a bent for music, Tagle speaks Ratzinger appointed Tagle as a fluent Italian, English and Tagalog. member of the Vatican's

VATICAN READIES SISTINE CHAPEL FOR CONCLAVE TO ELECT POPE

Catholic Church ever to resign by choice in its 2,000- year history.

The decision on the date of the conclave was taken on Friday at one of a series of closed- door meetings held by cardinals over the past week to discuss the many challenges facing the next pope.

Cardinals seized on the rare chance to air grievances against the Vatican with no new pope to defer to and no old pope to mourn.

Several cardinals have called for greater transparency and a wholesale reform of the Roman Curia, the central governing body of the Church, which has been under a cloud over recent corruption, infighting and intrigue allegations. International Theological Commission, or ITC, and was impressed with his research work and papers. ' I am sure that it was because of what he saw in him at the ITC that Pope Benedict chose him for Manila and then for the red hat' of a cardinal, said the Rev. Joseph Komonchak, one of Tagle's instructors at Catholic University of America.

In October 2011, Benedict declared Tagle the new archbishop of Manila, then just a year later, elevated him to cardinal. Tagle tearfully acknowledged in a recent homily in Imus that he was overwhelmed by his rapid rise. 'It's unnerving,' he said.

Larger audiences have turned up to listen to his talks and homilies, where he often raised the need for the Catholic Church to reconnect with people. Almost always, Tagle is mobbed like a movie star by fans jostling to get his picture.

'I think many of the cardinals will say, `It's too much, too soon,'' the professor Arevalo said of Tagle's chances in the conclave. But he added: ' We don't know what God wants. If God wants it, God will make up for it.'