Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle makes history after being elected Dean of the College of Cardinals.
The College of Cardinals is composed of the Catholic Church's senior clerics, who serve as advisers to the pope and help elect his successor when the papacy becomes vacant.
Following the approval of Pope Leo XIV on Tagle's election as Dean on October 8, 2026, the Catholic community welcomes its first Asian Cardinal to hold the position.
The Vatican announced the development after the resignation of Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re on October 9.
At 69, Tagle succeeds Re, who is 92 and has served as dean since 2020, with a renewed term in 2025.
So, what does the dean's role involve, and what responsibilities come with the position?
Read: Pope Leo XIV: Fast facts about the Catholic Church's new leader
CARDINAL TAGLE'S HISTORIC ELECTION
Tagle's election marks a milestone for the Catholic Church in Asia.
Although Asian cardinals have participated in the College of Cardinals for decades, no Asian had previously held the position of dean.
The appointment places a Filipino church leader at the head of one of the Catholic Church's most prominent bodies, which plays a central role in selecting the next pope.
Tagle, the former Archbishop of Manila, has held senior Vatican responsibilities since 2020.
He is widely known for his work in evangelization and missionary activity.
Does becoming dean mean Cardinal Tagle could be the next pope?
Not automatically.
The dean's position carries considerable responsibility during a papal transition, but it does not confer any special right to become pope.
The next pontiff will be chosen by the eligible cardinal electors in a conclave, regardless of who holds the dean's office.
Tagle was already considered a possible papal candidate before the May 2025 conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.
His new position may draw renewed attention to his name in discussions about the future leadership of the Catholic Church.
However, the outcome of a future conclave cannot be determined by the dean's title.
The election depends on the cardinals' votes, and the identity of the next pope remains unknown until the conclave concludes.
Source/s: Reuters, Vatican Press
Read: Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle: Possible successor to Pope Francis?
TENURE AS DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF CARDINALS
Tagle's term as dean is five years and may be renewed once.
The fixed term was introduced by Pope Francis in 2019, replacing the previous arrangement under which the dean could remain in office for life.
At the end of a dean's service, the cardinal may assume the title of Dean Emeritus of the College of Cardinals.
Alongside his new role, Tagle continues to serve as pro-prefect of the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches within the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelization.
His responsibilities in that office concern the Church's missionary work and evangelization efforts, particularly in territories where the Church is newly established or still developing.
Source/s: Vatican Press, Vatican News
Read: Filipino cardinals recount interactions with Pope Leo XIV
PRESIDER OF THE CONCLAVE ONCE A POPE DIES OR RESIGNS
Among the dean's responsibilities Under the Vatican’s apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis is convening the cardinals for meetings to discuss the needs of the Church and prepare for the election of a new pope.
The dean presides over the relevant proceedings, subject to the rules governing the transition and conclave.
His duties include informing the cardinals of the pope's death and summoning them for the College's meetings called General Congregations.
The dean also has a role in the preparations surrounding the papal funeral and the Mass preceding the conclave.
During the election itself, the dean presides over the conclave if he is eligible to participate as an elector.
Cardinals aged 80 or older at the time the papacy becomes vacant are not eligible to vote.
After the cardinals elect a new pope, the dean asks the elected candidate whether he accepts the election and what name he wishes to use as pope.
The Dean is also responsible in ordaining the elected Pope a bishop, if he isn't one already.
Source/s: GMA News Online, Vatican Press
Read: The Pope Dies: What happens next in the Vatican?
IN POPULAR CULTURE
The dean's responsibilities may sound familiar to moviegoers who watched Conclave, the 2024 political thriller starring Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence.
Directed by Edward Berger, the film follows Lawrence as he oversees the process of electing a new pope following the death of the previous pontiff.
The story explores the cardinals' deliberations, rivalries, secrets, and the political tensions surrounding the selection of the Catholic Church's next leader.
Although Conclave is a work of fiction, it draws on real elements of the papal election process, including the closed-door gathering of cardinals and the dean's role in overseeing proceedings.
The film also takes dramatic liberties with certain events and decisions, so it should not be treated as a documentary account of Vatican procedure.
With Tagle now serving as Dean of the College of Cardinals, the position portrayed by Fiennes offers audiences a useful point of reference for understanding why the Filipino cardinal's appointment matters, particularly when the Catholic Church eventually faces another papal transition.
Source/s: PolitiFact
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