Pope Leo XIV’s multicultural and missionary background will enrich his papacy and bring a unique perspective to his role as leader of the Catholic Church, a Filipino cardinal said.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle stressed that while the papal ministry is primarily a work of divine grace, the human dimension of the pontiff’s experience helps him relate to the Church’s diverse global community.
“Without denying the primacy of grace in the ministry of Pope Leo, I believe that his human, cultural, religious, and missionary background will give a unique face to his ministry,” Tagle said.
“But this is true of all Popes,” he said. “The Petrine ministry of strengthening brothers and sisters in the faith in Jesus, the Son of the living God, remains the same—but each Pope lives and exercises it through his unique humanity.”
The cardinal, pro-prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization, described the pope’s “multi-continental and multicultural background” as an asset that will “surely help him in his ministry and benefit the Church.”
The Catholic Church stands at the dawn of a new chapter with the recent election of Pope Leo XIV, whose unexpected yet swift rise through the conclave has already sparked global interest and hopeful curiosity.
Among those who know the new pope personally is Tagle, the former archbishop of Manila, who shared his reflections in an interview with Vatican News, the news arm of the Holy See.
Tagle first encountered Pope Leo during his time as prior general of the Order of St. Augustine, both in the Philippines in 2013 and later in Rome. Their paths crossed again in the Roman Curia beginning in 2023, when then-Cardinal Robert Prevost served as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
From these shared years of service, Tagle offered a portrait of a pontiff marked not only by intellect and spiritual maturity but also by extraordinary openness.
“He has a deep and patient capacity for listening and engages in careful study and reflection before making a decision,” he said.
“What also emerges is a Pope deeply grounded in prayer and mission. He is intellectually and culturally well-prepared, but without showing off,” Tagle added. “In his relationships, Pope Leo brings a calm warmth, shaped by prayer and missionary experience.”
That missionary experience is no footnote. Pope Leo XIV served as a missionary bishop in Peru and was formed as a priest far from his birthplace in the United States. His geographical and spiritual journey has led some to call him a “pope of two worlds.”
The cardinal’s words echo a wider hope: that Pope Leo’s multinational formation will serve as a bridge across cultures and continents.
For Asia, where Tagle has been a prominent voice, the pope’s background is not just welcomed— it resonates.
“The people of Asia love the pope as pope, whichever country he comes from,” he said. “He is loved not only by Catholics, but also by other Christians and followers of non-Christian religions.”
