Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle
, a dynamic, persistent and humble advocate for the poor and marginalized in his native Philippines and around the world, will receive the at a campus ceremony at 8 p.m. March 24 (Friday) in the McKenna Hall Auditorium.
Following the award presentation, the cardinal will deliver an address on integral human development. Both the ceremony and the lecture are free and open to the public.
The 32nd archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Tagle serves as the president of , a confederation of more than 160 Catholic relief organizations that work to end poverty, promote justice and restore the dignity of the most vulnerable, regardless of race or religion.
His work at Caritas, he has said, 鈥渆mbodies love. For us, love is a person: especially those who have been forgotten by the world, those who have been victimized by injustice, poverty, conflicts.鈥�
鈥淐ardinal Tagle is cut of the same cloth as Pope Francis, who named him president of Caritas,鈥� said , director of the , which presents the award.
鈥淗e has been a tireless champion of the poor, as much by example as by word. He opens his home to the homeless and eats with them in his house. He spends time listening to the most marginalized, working to ensure that their experiences and concerns inform his ministry and the Church鈥檚 efforts to promote justice and peace.鈥�
Known for his friendly demeanor and approachable nature, the cardinal prefers to be called by his nickname, 鈥淐hito,鈥� instead of his full title. Media savvy, he has a large social media following, particularly on , allowing him to spread his message of hope and forgiveness to people across the globe.
Tagle has spoken out strongly about issues impacting the poor and vulnerable in the Philippines and around the world. He has stood firmly against the death penalty and political corruption and worked vigorously toward a Catholic response to issues such as the international refugee crisis and climate change.
While at Notre Dame, the cardinal is participating in the 2017 , 鈥淪oul of Development,鈥� which celebrates the 50th anniversary of Pope Paul VI鈥檚 encyclical . The basis for many church policies on integral human development, it will be the focus of Cardinal Tagle鈥檚 address: 鈥淟iving Out the Legacy of Populorum Progressio Today and Tomorrow.鈥�
On March 25, as part of the same conference, faculty fellow , Ford Program East Africa Regional Program Coordinator and Dowd will present on Ford research being undertaken in Nairobi: 鈥淓xploring Motherhood in Dandora: Kenya Mistreatment of Women Receiving Maternal Health Services.鈥�
Cardinal Tagle will also open the annual commemoration, a project of Latin American North American Church Concerns, by celebrating Mass in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at 5:15 p.m. March 24, 37 years to the day after Archbishop 脫scar Romero was assassinated in El Salvador.
The Ford Family Notre Dame Award for Human Development and Solidarity, presented by the , recognizes substantial contributions to human development through research, practice, public service or philanthropy. Recipients are honored for standing in solidarity with those in deepest need, supporting them to become agents of their own change.
Past recipients of the award include , now the deputy secretary-general of the United Nations; ; social entrepreneur , CEO and founder of Acumen; development economist and Nobel laureate ; , whose co-founders Paul Farmer and Ophelia Dahl accepted the award on its behalf; and , the United Nations Secretary General鈥檚 Special Envoy for Malaria.
The Ford Family Program in Human Development 91视频 and Solidarity is a program of the . Part of the University of Notre Dame鈥檚 new , the Kellogg Institute is an interdisciplinary community of scholars and students from across the University and around the world that promotes research, provides educational opportunities and builds linkages related to democracy and human development, two topics critical to our world.
Contact: Rev. Robert Dowd, C.S.C., Ford Family Program, 574-631-7756, rdowd1@nd.edu