A Filipino Cardinal, Luis Antonio Tagle has been named by Pope Francis as his special envoy for the upcoming Asian bishops’ conference in Bangkok, Thailand.

Cardinal Tagle will represent the pope at the Federation of the Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC) to be held at the Baan Phu Waan Pastoral Center of Bangkok Archdiocese, from Oct. 12 to 30, according to a Vatican bulletin.

The theme of this year’s conference, “FABC 50: Journeying together as peoples of Asia” is based on the Gospel of Matthew 2: 12, or the Magi’s visit to the Child Jesus.

“Among the Filipino cardinal’s main tasks at the biggest gathering of Asian bishops is to listen to the discussion on the role of Catholic clergymen in Asia where some of the world’s poorest countries are located,” said a statement from the Filippino bishops’ conference on Aug. 27.

Cardinal Tagle would also preside over the closing Mass of the conference where he is expected to meet heads of state or representatives of Asian countries to mark solidarity between the Catholic Church and Asian countries, the statement said.

“I am sure our Asian bishops will discuss their mission in Asia,” said Sorsogon Diocesan Father Joem Afable, who is close to Cardinal Tagle.

“And in this mission, they are faced with several problems. Perhaps they are many ways or routes on how to conquer them. This is something our bishops need to hear from each other,” Father Afable said.

In this connection, this year’s theme “will surely tickle our imagination and creativity. It is about the last verse in the story of the Magi’s visit to the Holy Child: ‘And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route,” he told the media.

The Federation of Asian Bishops was established in 1970.

Its secretariat confirmed the 19-day conference will “reflect on the re-emerging and emerging realities and challenges of the Church in Asia.”

Cardinal Tagle is among the highest Asian dignitaries in the Roman Curia serving as Prefect of the Evangelization of Peoples after he was appointed as Archbishop of Manila.

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