Cardinal Tagle recounts how Leo XIV reacted when he was chosen in the 2025 conclave

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro -prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization in the Vatican, recounts how Pope Leo XIV reacted – which was sitting beside him in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican – when he was chosen successor of St. Peter in the conclave on May 8.

“His reaction was to alternate between smiles and deep breaths. It was holy acceptance and sacred concern at the same time. I prayed for him in silence,” Cardinal Filipino told the Vatican media, one of the 133 who had the mission of choosing the new Pope of the Catholic Church, and that this Sunday he placed the ring of the fisherman to the Holy Father, at the inauguration of his pontificate.

“At the same time that it reached the necessary number of votes (89), a thunderous applause broke out, similar to the choice of Pope Francis,” Tagle said.

The former Archbishop of Manila also narrated that “the cardinals expressed joy and gratitude to his brother, Cardinal Prevost, but it was also an intimate moment between Jesus and he, in which we could not enter and that we should not interrupt. I told myself: ‘Let us let the sacred silence wrapping Jesus already Peter.”

Cardinal Tagle and Los Conclaves

In an interview published on May 16 by Vatican NewsCardinal Tagle stressed that he has participated “in two conclaves, which I consider a true grace. In the 2013 conclave, Pope Benedict XVI was still alive, while in the 2025 conclave, Pope Francis had already passed to eternal life”.

“We must take into account the difference in context and atmosphere. I would also add that, although each of the two conclaves was a unique and unrepeatable experience, there were constant elements,” he added.

In 2013, Tagle continued, “I was wondering why during the conclave we had to wear choral clothing. Then I learned and experienced that the conclave is a liturgical event, a time and a space of prayer, of listening to the Word of God, of the impulses of the Holy Spirit, of the groans of the Church, of humanity and of creation, of personal and common purification of the personal and common purification of God whose will must reign sovereign. ”

The purple Filipino also stressed that “Pope Francis and Pope León were chosen on the second day. The conclave teaches us, as well as our families, parishes, diocese and nations, that the communion of hearts and minds is possible if we worship the true God.”

How is Pope Leo XIV according to Cardinal Tagle?

The purple Filipino recalls that he met Pope Leo XIV “in Manila and in Rome, when he was still a general prior of the order of St. Augustine. Since 2023 we are together in the Roman curia.”

In his opinion, the pontiff “has a deep and patient listening capacity. Before making a decision, he is dedicated to a careful study and reflection.”

Leo XIV, highlights the cardinal, “expresses his feelings and preferences without wanting to impose anything. He is intellectually and culturally prepared without holding it. In relations he brings a serene warmth, perfected by prayer and missionary experience.”