EXPLAINER: What is the role of Cardinal Tagle as Dean of the College of Cardinals?

VATICAN CITY —Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle has been elected Dean of the College of Cardinals, becoming the first Asian cardinal to hold the position.

Pope Leo XIV approved the election on October 8, 2026, following the acceptance of the resignation of Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. The Vatican announced the development on October 9, 2026.

Tagle’s election marks a historic milestone for the Catholic Church in Asia and the Philippines. But what does the Dean of the College of Cardinals do, and why is the position important?

What is the College of Cardinals?

The College of Cardinals is composed of senior Church leaders who advise the Pope and, when the papacy becomes vacant, elect his successor in a conclave. Only cardinals who meet the requirements under Church law may vote in the papal election.

What is the role of the Dean?

The Dean serves as the head of the College of Cardinals in a coordinating and representative capacity. The position is often described as primus inter pares, meaning “first among equals.”

Although the Dean does not govern the Church in place of the Pope, the role becomes particularly important when a Pope dies or resigns, and the Church prepares for a new pontificate.

What happens when a Pope dies?

Under the Vatican’s apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, the Dean has several key responsibilities during a papal vacancy, known as sede vacante.

The Dean must notify and summon the cardinals to meetings called General Congregations, where they discuss the Church’s needs and prepare for the conclave. The Dean also plays a central role in coordinating the process leading to the election of the next Pope.

If eligible to participate as a cardinal elector, the Dean presides over the conclave. If the elected Pope is not already a bishop, the Dean is responsible for ordaining him a bishop.

Meanwhile, the Cardinal Camerlengo has separate responsibilities concerning the administration and safeguarding of the Holy See’s temporal goods and rights during the vacancy.

Why is Cardinal Tagle's election historic?

Cardinal Tagle is the first Asian cardinal to serve as Dean of the College of Cardinals. His election is a significant development for the Catholic Church in Asia and the Philippines, a predominantly Catholic country with a large Filipino community overseas.

His new position places a Filipino Church leader in a key coordinating role within one of the Catholic Church’s most important institutions.

However, becoming Dean does not automatically make Cardinal Tagle the next Pope. The Pope is elected by eligible cardinal electors in a conclave, and the Dean does not choose the successor alone.

What happens next?

Cardinal Tagle will assume the title of the Suburbicarian Church of Ostia while retaining his existing title of Albano. He will also continue his work as Pro-Prefect of the Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches within the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization.

His election is both a historic milestone for Filipino Catholics and an important responsibility in coordinating the College of Cardinals, particularly during a future transition of papal leadership.—LDF, GMA News