The Pope expressed his closeness to the family and sent his blessing to the Filipino cardinal, whose father passed away on September 6 at the age of 96.
After learning that Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle’s father had died last Sunday, September 6, Pope Leo XIV sent a message of closeness and condolences to the Philippine cardinal. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines made the message public on September 8 on its news agency’s website (CBCPNEWS).
The Pope told Cardinal Tagle that he was “deeply saddened” by the news of Manuel Tagle Sr.’s death, and assured the cardinal that he was “praying for his eternal rest.” The Pontiff also expressed his “spiritual closeness to all who mourn his loss in the sure hope which draws its strength from the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In addition, Leo XIV conferred his apostolic blessing “as a pledge of consolation and peace” for the cardinal and “all those who cherish his father’s memory,” CBCPNEWS reported.
At the time of his father’s death, Cardinal Tagle was in Rome. He asked for prayers for his father’s eternal rest and headed back to the Philippines, where he arrived on Monday.
Married for 70 years
His father, known as “Tatay Maning” (“tatay” is Tagalog for “dad”), was 96 years old. He and his wife Milagros Gokim were married for 70 years and had two sons, Luis Antonio and Manuel Jr., according to CBCPNEWS. The couple had celebrated their wedding anniversary on August 26; Cardinal Tagle celebrated a Mass at the cathedral for the occasion.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is the pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization. During the 2013 and 2025 conclaves, many considered Tagle as a candidate for the papacy. Benedict XVI had made him a cardinal in 2012 when the Philippine prelate was only 55 years old.
On September 24, Tagle will preside at the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen in St. Louis, representing Pope Leo XIV.
