Meet Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, a Top Contender to Succeed Pope Francis

Since the death of Pope Francis, a reform-minded Pontiff who had led the Catholic Church since 2013, thoughts have been circulating as to who will be selected as his successor.

The papal conclave—the election of the next Pope—is set to begin on May 7, and will see 133 cardinals gather to vote. One figure who has emerged as a top contender to succeed Pope Francis is Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle of the Philippines. If elected, Cardinal Tagle— who currently serves as pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization—would be the first Asian Pope in centuries.

In 2018, Tagle was asked about the possibility of him being a future Pope. He issued a jovial response, laughing as he said: “I don’t think so. I don’t think they want me there… They would appreciate my company for occasional visits, but for me to stay there [in Rome]? Probably no.”

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Amid ongoing discussions as to who may end up serving as Pope Francis’ successor, here’s what to know about Cardinal Tagle:

Cardinal Tagle’s background and early years in the Catholic Church

Cardinal Tagle, 67, was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Manila in 1982 and is widely known by his nickname “Chito.”

In 1985, Tagle traveled to the United States to study theology at the Catholic University of America. Upon his return to the Philippines, Tagle taught and continued to be a leader in the Philippines religious community before he became the Archbishop of Manila in 2011. In 2012, he was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Benedict XVI.

In 2015, Tagle was elected as the head of the Caritas Internationalis—a Vatican-based confederation of Catholic relief and development agencies working across the world. In 2019, Pope Francis appointed him as Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the missionary arm of the Church. Then, he moved to Rome to assume his role, leaving his home in Manila.

After the move, then-President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte reportedly spread rumors that Tagle was removed for “meddling in politics”—rumors that Philippine Bishops strongly refuted. Duterte has since been arrested and appeared (via video link) at the International Criminal Court in March. He stands accused of crimes against humanity, lodged against him after he oversaw a brutal anti-drug campaign in his home country that human rights groups in the Philippines say killed more than 30,000.

Tagle had previously addressed the loss of life in the Philippines. In a 2017 sermon, he was quoted as saying: “We knock on the consciences of those who kill even the helpless, especially those who cover their faces with bonnets, to stop wasting human lives.”

In 2013, Tagle participated in the conclave that elected Pope Francis, and he is known as a leader with similar sentiments to the former Pope, due to his emphasis for the poor and welcoming of LGBTQ+ individuals, migrants, and divorced and remarried Catholics.

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His support for LGBTQ+ Catholics and migrants

Though Tagle has proclaimed a strong pro-life stance, he has also been known for his support for LGBTQ+ Catholics, migrants, and the poor—allowing for people to see similarities between him and Pope Francis. His “approachable” nature has set him apart from others.

On his support for migrants, Tagle pointed out that the story of his own family began with the migration of a child, as his maternal grandfather was born in China.

“Migration is a chance for people to bloom as human beings. It is a chance for them to create a better life for themselves and future generations,” Tagle said in a message shared on the Caritas Internationalis website. “Like Christ on his journey to the cross, migration pushes people beyond their physical and mental borders, it stretches their capacities and takes them through deserts of loneliness and rejection. But people bear this journey of sacrifice for a noble cause.”

Tagle has also been known for his more inclusive views towards the LGBTQ+ community.

“The harsh words that were used in the past to refer to gays and divorced and separated people, the unwed mothers… were quite severe,” Tagle told a Catholic youth Congress in 2015. “Many people who belonged to those groups were branded and that led to their isolation from the wider society.”

Read More: Southeast Asia’s Most Gay-Friendly Country Still Has No Law Against LGBT Discrimination

Critics on his handling of complaints and administrative issues

Some advocates have criticised Tagle’s handling of abuse complaints.

On March 25, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, an advocacy group, published a letter to the Vatican, asking that they investigate what they say is Tagle’s “oversight of complaints against bishops in Aotearoa [New Zealand].” Other Catholic leaders were mentioned in the letter.

Tagle previously said the Catholic Church must face the “wounds” of sexual abuse, and that they must be handled “together, with faith.”

There have also been concerns raised about Tagle’s performance in administrative roles. “Tagle is considered intelligent, a good theologian, and a good communicator. But in many ways he has not been a very good administrator in some of the jobs he’s had in the Vatican. He has not proven himself in that role,” Charles Collins, managing editor of Crux, a publication that focuses on the Vatican and the Catholic Church, is quoted as telling NBC.

In 2022, Pope Francis removed Tagle along with the entire management team of Caritas Internationalis, appointing a commissioner to run it, following accusations of bullying and humiliation of employees.