Many Catholic’s like to try to guess at which cardinal could become the pope. We review here some of the papabili.
Newsroom (07/05/2025 19:15, Gaudium Press) An often heard phrase is he who enters the conclave as a pope leaves as a cardinal. Another Roman phase is “A fat pope follows a thin one” this adage in the Catholic Church describing a perceived trend that conclaves tend to counterbalance the preceding pope with one having different ideological emphases.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle
Touted as the “Asian Francis,” Cardinal Tagle possesses not only attributes similar to Jorge Bergoglio and extensive pastoral and administrative experience but also significant theological and historical training. Indeed at one time he was considered to be Pope Francis’ preferred successor.
Paradoxically, however, as often as Tagle is touted for the papacy by media outlets, external commentators and ardent fans, he is at the same time be dismissed by insiders, insisting that he lacks the gravitas for the office and that his Vatican career has had uneven results.
1. Background & Rise to Prominence
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Born: June 21, 1957, in Manila, Philippines
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Ordained: 1982 (Archdiocese of Imus)
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Education: PhD in Theology from Catholic University of America (1991)
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Key Milestones:
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Bishop of Imus (2001-2011)
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Archbishop of Manila (2011-2019)
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Cardinal (2012, aged 55 – youngest at the time)
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President of Caritas Internationalis (2015-2019) – In November 2022, Pope Francis terminated Cardinal Tagle’s two-term tenure as president of Caritas Internationalis, along with other leaders of the Vatican-based coordinating body for Catholic humanitarian organizations. The Pope’s decision followed an independent review that found deficiencies in Caritas Internationalis’ “management and procedures, seriously prejudicing team-spirit and staff morale.”
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Prefect of Congregation for Evangelization (2019-present)
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2. Theological & Pastoral Approach
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Pastoral Focus: Known for humble, relatable style (rides public transport, avoids pomp). Cardinal Tagle described his general approach to pastoral care when that care comes in close contact with objective moral norms. He was asked, “How do we open the doors of those [with unique situations] in a compassionate way without compromising the Church’s teaching?” To this, the cardinal replied, I think it’s a matter also of pastoral approach. An appreciation again of the beauty of the teachings of the Church, presented calmly, without any judgment, and then: how do we help those who are not in harmony with the Church?
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Synodal Advocate: Strong supporter of Pope Francis’s synodal Church model. In many speeches and writings, Tagle has praised Paul VI’s furtherance of the “collegial process,” especially his institution of the Synod of Bishops. Tagle has argued that Vatican II was a “transitional council” and “the institutional reforms initiated by the council and Paul VI were also transitional in character,” for the Council requires “acceptance of the breakdown of the logic that gave coherent form to ‘Roman Catholicism,’” an acceptance that takes time and changes in ecclesial praxis, institutions, and laws.
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Interfaith Leader: Promotes dialogue with Muslims (5% of Philippines) and other faiths. Tagle has spoken up to address issues relating to the relationship between Catholic and Islamic faith communities. In January 2017, Cardinal Tagle denounced the preferential option for Christians in refugee resettlement programs.
Tagle suggested that radical Islamist terrorists were to blame for the widespread perception of religiously motivated conflict. Promoting unity and understanding, he called for Muslims and Christians to “remove the wall that separates us . . . because we belong to one human family.” “Whoever plans to divide Muslims and Christians will not triumph,”
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Social Justice: Emphasis on poverty alleviation (influenced by Filipino context). In a speech in 2020, he said every baptized person is called to share their faith, that serving the poor “is already proclaiming the Gospel,” and stressing that while there is a “healthy secularity,” the problem arises when it becomes “secularism” that declares the world “would be better without God.”
3. Key Contributions
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Evangelization: Leads Vatican’s largest dicastery (oversees 1,100 dioceses in mission territories), however many observers found his tenure at the Dicastery for the Evangelisation of Peoples to be uninspired.
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Media Savvy: “The Social Media Cardinal” – Sort of Cardinal-Influencer with a vast social media following – he has an active X account and a Facebook page, where he can be seen, among other things, swaying and gyrating to traditional Filipino dances.
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Voice for Asia: Brings Global South perspective to Church leadership
4. Theological & Pastoral Orientation
- When asked to name which writers have made the biggest impression on him during his theological studies, Tagle said, “The French Dominican Yves Congar, the German Jesuit Karl Rahner, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger . . . Among South Americans I read a lot of Leonardo Boff, Gustavo Gutiérrez, and Segundo Galilea.
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Priestly celibacy, a women’s diaconate, homosexuals in Holy Orders, and Communion for divorced-and-civilly-“remarried” Catholics: these are all issues about which the cardinal admits he does not yet have definitive answers. For example, Tagle believes that the discipline of priestly celibacy deserves further discernment.
- At a press briefing during the Vatican youth synod held in October 2018, Cardinal Tagle was asked about the possible admission of homosexuals to seminaries and to Holy Orders. His reply was noncommittal. Cardinal Tagle said that while the discussions during the synod focused on “the humane regard of the Church to people, whatever their sexual orientation may be, it was also very clear that, while the constant attitude is that of respect for human dignity and the human person, we also recognize that in different states of life, especially in the Church, there are some demands or some requisites or some requirements that we have to look at, for the proper exercise of a charism or a ministry.”
- While the cardinal has not spoken of women in the diaconate He said that it was suggested often that female figures in Scripture should be used as interpretative lights for young people today and that the testimony of the young women at the synod provided a much-needed expansion of horizons. The cardinal said that when the Church talks about diversity it is not just about cultures but also the experience of women, which is unique.
- Tagle often uses the pulpit to respond to issues of social justice, but his positions on moral matters appear somewhat incoherent. He railed against a Filipino “Reproductive Health” bill, albeit less strongly than some of his fellow bishops, that introduced anti-family and anti-life policies, and he has spoken strongly against abortion and euthanasia.On the other hand, he holds that some situations exist where universal moral principles do not apply, as in the case of Communion for couples who live together conjugally but without sacramental marriage, and issues relating to homosexuality. He opposes use of “harsh” or “severe” language when describing certain sins and believes the Church needs to “learn over” its teaching of mercy due in part to the “shifts in cultural and social sensibilities.”But when it comes to popular causes, Cardinal Tagle has shown himself to be a clear and vocal advocate. This is especially true of issues such as ecology. Along with his ambiguous statements about the goodness of all religions, these factors raise questions about what Tagle believes to be the essence of the gospel.
CONCLUSION
Cardinal Tagle is an effective communicator and evangelist. His simple, natural style, coupled with his gift for playing to crowds and stirring both laughter and tears in almost equal measure, would make him an immediate star on the global stage.
Tagle would also put a face and a voice on the dynamism of the Catholic Church across the developing world, including in Asia.
Lastly that Tagle is of Chinese descent could be an asset in terms of the Vatican-China relationship.
However, there are not a few cardinals, who privately believe that Tagle simply isn’t ready to be the next pope. They regard his public persona as superficial, and behind the scenes they say he has had six years now to prove he can do the heavy lifting of real leadership in the Vatican without much to show for it. If Tagle couldn’t effectively run Caritas, they wonder, what hope does he have with the entire Vatican to oversee?
In addition, more conservative cardinals don’t care for Tagle’s theology and politics, which they find a bit too much left-of-centre. Those concerns may be amplified by the prospect that, at 67, one can easily imagine him sitting on the Throne of Peter for twenty years, which may strike some observers as simply too long for comfort.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from collegeofcardinalsreport.com and Catholic Herald
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