Cardinal Tagle elected dean of the College of Cardinals, first Asian in the post

Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, 69, was elected dean of the College of Cardinals on October 9 in a vote by the cardinals of the Order of Bishops. He succeeds Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who had held the office since 2020, after nearly seven years in the post.

Tagle is the first Asian to hold the office. As dean he takes the title of the suburbicarian Church of Ostia while keeping his link to the suburbicarian Church of Albano.

Tagle is pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches, formerly known as Propaganda Fide. He is archbishop emeritus of Manila, in the Philippines. At the Mass marking the beginning of Pope Leo XIV's Petrine ministry, celebrated on May 18, 2025, in St. Peter's Square, he presented the Fisherman's Ring to the new pope.

Coordinating the cardinals and presiding over a conclave

As dean, Tagle will coordinate the activities of cardinals around the world, acting as "primus inter pares." He will not hold hierarchical authority over his fellow cardinals but will focus on coordination. His main responsibility will be to convene a conclave when the see is vacant and to preside over it if he is under 80, the age limit that allows him to be among the electors.

Re leaves the post after nearly seven years and becomes the first dean emeritus

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 92, leaves the office he had held since 2020, when he was elected to succeed Cardinal Angelo Sodano. Pope Leo XIV renewed him in the post in 2025. Re keeps the title of the suburbicarian Church of Sabina-Poggio Mirteto and takes the status of "dean emeritus," introduced by Pope Francis in a 2019 motu proprio that reformed the office and limited the term to five years, renewable once.

The reform was a response to the growing number of cardinals, which has passed the traditional threshold of 120 electors and increased the dean's responsibilities and commitments. Re has served the Church under the last four popes, from John Paul II to Leo XIV. He was secretary of the Congregation for Bishops and its prefect from 2000 to 2010. He took part in the conclave of March 2013, which elected the first South American pope in history.