Pope Leo XIV Approves Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle as Dean of the College of Cardinals

Pope Leo XIV approved the election of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle as dean of the College of Cardinals on October 8, 2026, according to a report from Catholic World Report. The same day, the pope accepted the resignation of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who had held the post since 2020. The Vatican announced Tagle’s appointment on October 9, the report said.

Straits Times reported that Re, an Italian cardinal, is 92 years old and is retiring from the position. It said Tagle, a Filipino cardinal, replaces him. Magzter, which also reported the approval, described Tagle as the first Asian and Filipino to hold the office. Straits Times described the appointment as the first time an Asian cleric has held the role of dean. Both reports present the appointment as the first of its kind for Asia.

According to Catholic World Report, the cardinal dean is chosen from among the cardinal bishops, a group that included 12 cardinal-bishops as of October 2026. The dean’s main duty is to summon the cardinals to Rome on the pope’s behalf, particularly for a papal conclave. The report said the role does not give the dean governing authority over the other cardinals. Magzter described the dean as often called *primus inter pares*, or first among equals, and said the dean coordinates the cardinals’ activities and holds particular significance during a papal transition. It also said the dean convenes cardinals for a conclave and presides over the election of a new pope if eligible under Church law.

Catholic World Report gave Tagle’s background. He is 69 and has served as pro-prefect for the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches of the Dicastery for Evangelization since 2019. He was archbishop of Manila from 2011 to 2020. Magzter said Tagle’s ministry has spanned from the Philippines to the Vatican, and that the appointment reflects a broader trend of increased Asian representation in the Church’s highest levels.

Pope Leo XIV assigned Tagle the titular see of Albano, and Tagle formally took possession of it in October, Catholic World Report said.