Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle Becomes First Asian Dean of the College of Cardinals

Pope Leo XIV approved the election of Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle as Dean of the College of Cardinals on 9 October. Tagle, 69, succeeds Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 92, whose resignation the pope accepted. Tagle is the first Asian and the first Filipino to hold the post.

The cardinals of the Order of Cardinal-Bishops elected Tagle on 8 October. He will assume the title of the Suburbicarian Church of Ostia while retaining the title of Albano. Re becomes Dean Emeritus and keeps the title of Sabina-Poggio Mirteto. The Vatican announced the change on Friday.

The dean is primus inter pares among the cardinals. He has no governing authority over them. His practical duties become critical when a pope dies or resigns: he summons the cardinals to Rome, presides over the general congregations, and would lead the conclave process in the Sistine Chapel if eligible. Because of the age limit of 80, Re organised the pre-conclave meetings after the death of Pope Francis in 2025 but could not enter the conclave itself. Tagle, being under 80, would be able to do both.

Tagle was born in Manila on 21 June 1957. He served as Archbishop of Manila before Francis appointed him in 2019 to lead what became the Dicastery for Evangelization’s section for first evangelization and new particular churches. He was widely discussed as a possible candidate in the May 2025 conclave that elected Leo XIV. He previously led Caritas Internationalis and is known inside the Church for an informal style and for his work on missions in Asia.

The office of dean dates to the 12th century. Francis reformed its term in 2019, setting a five-year renewable limit after accepting the resignation of Cardinal Angelo Sodano. Re had held the post since 2020. Tagle’s election continues a pattern of greater Asian representation in senior Vatican roles that began under Francis and continues under Leo.

Leo, 71, is relatively young for a pope and is reported to be in good health. The immediate practical effect of the change is limited. The longer-term effect is that the cardinal who would organise and, if eligible, preside over the next conclave is now an Asian prelate who has spent his career focused on evangelization outside Europe.