Pope Leo XIV names Cardinal Tagle new titular bishop of Albano, Italy
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle as the titular bishop of Albano in Rome, the diocese that the former held before being elected the 267th pope of the Catholic Church.
"The Holy Father has assigned the Title of the Suburbicarian Church of Albano to His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization in the Section for First Evangelization and the new particular Churches," the Vatican said in a press release on Saturday, May 24 (PH Time).
Pope Leo XIV became the cardinal bishop of Albano in February 2025. This diocese was located just outside Rome and was "one of seven suburbicarian sees historically associated with cardinal bishops, the highest-ranking order within the College of Cardinals."
Prior to his appointment, Tagle had served as cardinal priest of the Church of San Felice da Cantalice in Centocelle since 2012 and as the president of the Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious since December 8, 2019.
He also served as the 32nd Archbishop of Manila from 2011 to 2020.
'Intellectually and culturally well-prepared'
In a recent interview with Vatican News, the Filipino cardinal described Pope Leo XIV as having "a deep and patient capacity for listening and engages in careful study and reflection before making a decision."
"The Pope expresses his feelings and preferences without imposing them. He is intellectually and culturally well-prepared, but without showing off. In his relationships, Pope Leo brings a calm warmth, shaped by prayer and missionary experience," he told the outlet.
They first met in Manila and Rome when Pope Leo XIV was still the Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine. They worked together in the Roman Curia starting in 2023.
Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected in a surprise choice to be the new leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, May 9, taking the name Leo XIV, becoming the first U.S. pontiff.
Aged 69 and originally from Chicago, Prevost has spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru and became a cardinal only in 2023.
During the conclave, Tagle was considered a "papabile", or among the favorites to succeed Pope Francis. For him, as "someone who does not enjoy being put in the limelight", he found the attention rather "unsettling."
"I tried to muster spiritual and human strength in order not to be affected," he said.
