VATICAN CITY. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, offered a deeply personal reflection on the election of Pope Leo XIV, the spiritual atmosphere of the recent conclave, and the enduring legacy of the late Pope Francis in an exclusive interview with Vatican News.
Nearly a month after Pope Francis’ death and a week into the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Tagle recounted the powerful experience of the conclave and his impressions of the new pope, whom he had known for years. Seated beside Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, in the Sistine Chapel during the conclave, Tagle recalled the sense of spiritual intimacy as history unfolded before them.
“Let holy silence envelope Jesus and Peter,” Tagle said, describing the sacred moment Prevost reached the required number of votes. “It was holy resignation and holy fear combined.”
A Pope of Calm Wisdom and Missionary Warmth
Tagle praised Pope Leo XIV’s qualities of humility, deep listening, and thoughtful discernment, noting his capacity to lead without imposing, to decide without haste, and to engage others with “a calm warmth, shaped by prayer and missionary experience.”
“He is intellectually and culturally well-prepared, but without showing off,” Tagle said. “The Pope expresses his feelings and preferences without imposing them.”
Having first met the former Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine in Manila and later in Rome, Tagle emphasized the Pope’s spiritual depth and pastoral approach, which he believes are rooted in his religious order and global missionary background.
A Sacred Experience: Inside the Conclave
The Filipino cardinal, who also participated in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis, underscored the spiritual gravity of such an event. He reflected on the difference between that conclave and the most recent one following the death of a reigning pontiff.
“A conclave is a liturgical event—a time and space for prayer, for listening to God’s Word, the stirrings of the Holy Spirit, the groanings of the Church, humanity and creation,” he explained. “It is for personal and communal purification of motivations, and for worship and adoration of God, whose will must reign supreme.”
Tagle emphasized that both Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV were elected on the second day, a testament to the unity that can emerge from genuine spiritual communion.
A Son of St. Augustine After a Son of St. Ignatius
Cardinal Tagle drew connections between Pope Leo XIV’s Augustinian roots and Pope Francis’ Jesuit background, suggesting a providential continuity.
“St. Augustine and St. Ignatius had many things in common,” he said. “They both had worldly careers and experienced a restlessness that led to adventurous pursuits.”
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