MANILA, Philippines (Updated 3:25 p.m.) — Following the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican has entered a period of sede vacante, with the College of Cardinals set to convene and elect the next Supreme Pontiff. Among the leading contenders named by members of the press covering the church in Rome is Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, a prominent figure in the Filipino clergy and recognized as one of the Church’s most influential voices.
Observers have labeled Tagle the “Asian Francis” due to similarities in pastoral focus and leadership style with the late pope. Why is he considered a strong contender for the throne of the Holy See? According to the College of Cardinals Report:
“Cardinal Tagle possesses not only attributes similar to Jorge Bergoglio and extensive pastoral and administrative experience but also significant theological and historical training.”
Currently, Tagle serves as pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, a key post in the Roman Curia to which he was appointed in 2022. He was the second Filipino cardinal to head a dicastery in the Roman Curia. The first was Cardinal Jose Sanchez, who was the Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy. His administrative and pastoral experience is extensive: He previously headed the Archdiocese of Manila. He also served as president of Caritas Internationalis, the official global network of Catholic charitable organizations, from 2015 to 2022.
While he was among the entire leadership team of Caritas relieved of their responsibilities by Francis in November 2022, Tagle, nominally president, was not involved in day-to-day operations, which were managed by the secretary general, who was a layman. In 2020, he was made Cardinal-Bishop of San Felice da Cantalice a Centocelle. A Cardinal-Bishop belongs to the highest order in the Catholic Church.
Tagle was also a member of the Congregation for Catholic Education and the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, among other significant roles. Congregations are the major departments of the Catholic Church's central governing body—the Roman Curia—which help the Pope manage the global Church.
Style and stance
Tagle’s approach and progressive stances have drawn comparisons to Pope Francis. Both have advocated for a Church that is inclusive, compassionate and attentive to the marginalized.
Tagle has consistently supported Francis’ vision, emphasizing service over status and compassion over condemnation.
On key issues, Tagle has taken notable positions:
On the drug war. As Archbishop of Manila, he was an outspoken critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, condemning drug-related killings and urging respect for human dignity.
On the LGBTQ+ community. Tagle has criticized the Church’s “harsh words” against LGBTQ individuals, highlighting the harm caused by exclusion and advocating for a more welcoming approach.
Tagle believes that individuals belonging to those groups were labeled, which subsequently led to their isolation from the broader community.
“I don’t know whether this is true but I heard that in some circles, Christian circles, the suffering that these people underwent was even considered as a rightful consequence of their mistakes, so spiritualised in that sense… But we are glad to see and hear shifts in that,” Tagle said in 2015.
On divorce. He opposes the legalization of divorce, upholding the sanctity of marriage as a sacrament. However, he has called for a nuanced, case-by-case approach to the communion of divorced and remarried Catholics.
“Every situation for those who are divorced and remarried is quite unique. To have a general rule might be counterproductive in the end,” Tagle said in 2015.
The what-ifs. If elected, Tagle would be the first pontiff from contemporary Southeast Asia and the Philippines, a country with the region’s largest Catholic population. His fluency in Italian and English, as well as his multicultural background, further positions him as a global Church leader.
While Tagle is considered by observers as a leading contender, Vatican historians caution that papal elections are historically unpredictable. As an old Italian saying goes, “He who enters a conclave as a pope, leaves it as a cardinal.”
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article claimed that Tagle could be the first Asian pope. This has been corrected. Previous heads of the Catholic Church including Saint Peter (r.30-67), born in Bethsaida now part of modern-day Western Asia, could also be considered Asian by geographic origin. Pope Gregory III (r.731-734) hailed from Syria while Pope John VI (r. 701-705 was from Ephesus in Asia Minor, now part of Turkey.
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