‘Asian Francis’ Emerges As Top Contender To Become Pope
By Romen Basu Borsellino | 22 Apr, 2025

Should he be selected, The Philippines’ Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle would become first Asian Pope

Many aspects of the late Pope Francis’s tenure, which began with the unexpected resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, were marked by firsts. An Argentinian, Pope Francis — the first of his name — was the first to hail from the Americas. Now, as all eyes turn to the Conclave tasked with selecting Pope Francis’s successor, we may bear witness to another first: The first Asian Pope. 

The child of a Chinese Filipino mother, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, age 67, has been dubbed “The Asian Francis” for his similarities to the late Pope in both ideology and demeanor. Tagle hails from the Philippines, which has been dubbed “Asia’s Catholic lung” given its sizable Catholic population. Now, according to several betting websites (don’t worry, betting on the next Pope remains illegal, even in Nevada), Tagle, who goes by the nickname “Chito,” has emerged as one the likeliest candidates to succeed Francis.

This is not the first time Tagle’s name has been on the Papal shortlist. He was deemed a potential successor to Benedict XVI when the conclave met in 2013 to ultimately select Francis. But while the recently deceased Pope’s shadow will loom large over the coming selection, it remains to be seen if Tagle’s association with Francis will help or hinder his chances.

In Tagle’s favor is the fact that Francis personally appointed 108 of the 135 Cardinals who are eligible to vote. That is a staggering 80%. The new Pope will need to secure a two-thirds majority, or 67% of eligible voters, in order to emerge successful. Should every Cardinal who was appointed by Francis vote for him, Tagle would win in a landslide. Of course, even if that 80% agreed that Francis’s successor should be someone like him, which is far from a given, they would then have to agree that Tagle fits that bill.

Alternatively, Tagle’s similarities to Francis, particularly on issues pertaining to social justice, may very well hurt his chances. Francis’s relatively progressive ideology was an exception to the papacy, not the rule. It is wholly possible that some Cardinals found the constant news coverage of Francis’s atypical views such as a relative leniency towards homosexuality to be a distraction. They may, therefore, opt for a more moderate candidate like Italy’s Pietro Parolin, age 70, who served as Pope Francis’s Secretary of State, a role commonly referred to as “Deputy Pope.” 

For over 200 years, the selection of a new Pope has been marked by the emanation of white smoke from the Vatican. But maybe this time, it will be gold.