CBCP asks public to refrain from advocating for Tagle, respect conclave

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has requested that the Filipinos refrain from publicly campaigning for Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle to become the next Pope.

In an interview with Radio Veritas, CBCP Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs Executive Secretary Rev. Fr. Jerome Secillano said that the choice of the Roman Catholic Church's next leader is the prerogative of the cardinal electors during the Conclave.

“We leave it to the cardinal electors to decide who will succeed Pope Francis. It’s not prudent for the public to promote Cardinal Tagle as the next Pope, as this could create the impression that the conclave might be swayed by external influences if Cardinal Tagle is elected as the next pontiff,” Secillano said.

Secillano highlighted that the cardinal electors must be independent and free to decide and therefore must be "respected."

“The independence of the electors must be respected, and the least we can do is pray for Cardinal Tagle and the other cardinal electors,” he added.

When a Pope dies or resigns, a conclave—an assembly of Catholic cardinals under 80—is held to elect his successor. 

Roman Catholic cardinals will hold a conclave to elect the Church's 267th pontiff and a successor to Pope Francis, who has died at the age of 88. The date of the conclave will be announced sometime after his funeral on Saturday, April 26.

Currently, 135 cardinals are eligible to vote, including three from the Philippines: Tagle, Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, and Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula.

Tagle, dubbed by some as the “Asian Pope Francis,” has been reported as one of the “papabili” or a contender to be the next Pope. 

He was made a cardinal in 2012 by Pope Benedict. Francis later in 2019 transferred him from Manila and made him head of the Church's Dicastery for Evangelization.