Cardinal Tagle asserts gossiping is not 'real friendship'
Ever felt the temptation to spill a little tea about someone with your close friends? But according to Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, gossiping is actually the opposite of what true friendship should be.
During a youth gathering during the 12th Philippine Conference on New Evangelization at the University of Santo Tomas, Tagle stressed that people who gossip about others are not genuine friends.
"If you receive gossip, bias, lies, violent and destructive content, the one who sent you that is not a friend," he said, per CBCP News.
He cautioned that people who make a habit of criticizing others behind their backs may eventually do the same to their own friends, which is why the youth needs to spot that pattern early in their own circles.
"Gossip breaks trust, but steady, quiet love slowly heals it. A person who feels truly accepted becomes a faithful friend in return," he said.
He went on to emphasize that real friendship is about showing kindness towards those who struggle and not being judgmental of others.
"Young people need friends and pastors who accept them fully, without gossip, shame or rejection standing in the way," Tagle said. "The person who gives you a lot of headache is the person that you should love the most."
He reminded the youth to foster friendships rooted in honesty, loyalty, and mutual respect rather than gossip and hearsay.
The late Pope Francis was vocal about condemning gossip, describing it as a "plague worse than Covid" during a 2020 weekend blessing.
