In the Sistine Chapel, during the Conclave, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost sat next to each other. On 16 May, during a private audience, they met once again, one week after Pope Leo XIV's election and his first Urbi et Orbi blessing.

The American-Peruvian cardinal and the Filipino cardinal have known each other for many years and, over the past two, have worked together closely as heads of their respective dicasteries—Bishops and Evangelization. In this interview with Vatican News, Cardinal Tagle offers a personal portrait of the new Pope, recounts the spiritual experience of the Conclave, and reflects on Pope Francis' legacy.

Q: Cardinal Tagle, Pope Leo XIV has begun his pontificate following a quick conclave. What stands out to you about this Pope, whom we are all just beginning to know?

A: I first met Pope Leo XIV in Manila and in Rome when he was still the Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine. We worked together in the Roman Curia starting in 2023. He has a deep and patient capacity for listening and engages in careful study and reflection before making a decision. The Pope expresses his feelings and preferences without imposing them. He is intellectually and culturally well-prepared, but without showing off. In his relationships, Pope Leo brings a calm warmth, shaped by prayer and missionary experience.

Q: On the eve of the Conclave, many spoke of a divided Church and cardinals with unclear ideas about choosing a new Pope. Yet the election concluded on the second day. How did you experience this Conclave, your second after 2013?

A: Before any major, global event, you hear speculation, analysis and predictions--and a conclave is no different. I have participated in two conclaves which I count as a real grace. In the conclave of 2013, Pope Benedict XVI was still alive, while in the conclave of 2025, Pope Francis had passed into eternal life. We should bear in mind the difference in context and atmosphere. While each of the two conclaves was a unique and unrepeatable experience, some elements remain constant.

In 2013, I wondered why we had to wear choral attire during the conclave. Then I learned and experienced that 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, for personal and communal purification of motivations, and for worship and adoration of God, whose will must reign supreme. Both Pope Francis and Pope Leo were elected on the second day. The conclave teaches us, our families, parishes, dioceses, and nations that communion of minds and hearts is possible if we worship the true God.