In a historic appointment, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has been elected as the new Dean of the College of Cardinals, succeeding 92-year-old Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who had served in the role since 2020. The Vatican officially announced the election on October 9, confirming that Pope Leo XIV approved the decision and accepted Cardinal Re’s resignation the previous day. At 69 years old, the former Archbishop of Manila becomes the first Asian cardinal to hold this prestigious leadership role within the Catholic Church.
Under canon law, the Dean of the College of Cardinals is chosen by and from among the cardinal bishops. While the dean holds no governing authority over fellow cardinals, the position—traditionally considered primus inter pares (“first among equals”)—carries key responsibilities, including summoning the College to Rome on behalf of the Pope, most notably during a papal conclave. Cardinal Re, a veteran of the Roman Curia since 1963, previously led the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis and was the first to serve under a reformed five-year renewable term limit introduced in 2020.
Cardinal Tagle brings extensive administrative and pastoral experience to his new position. Since 2019, he has served as pro-prefect of the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches within the Dicastery for Evangelization. He has also frequently represented the Pope at high-profile international gatherings, such as serving as papal legate for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in July 2024 and for the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen in St. Louis in September 2026. Tagle’s connection with Pope Leo XIV was previously highlighted when the Pontiff transferred his former cardinalatial title as titular cardinal bishop of Albano to Tagle in late 2025.