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Pope Leo XIV gesture during an audience to representatives of the media, at Paul-VI hall in The Vatican, on May 12, 2025.
AFP / Tiziana Fabi
MANILA, Philippines — Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle shared a recollection of the moment Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost received the required number of votes during the 2025 conclave that elected him as Pope Leo XIV.
Tagle, who sat beside Prevost inside the Sistine Chapel during the balloting, described the cardinal’s reaction as a blend of “holy resignation and holy fear.”
"His reaction alternated between smiling and breathing deeply. It was holy resignation and holy fear combined. I silently prayed for him,” Tagle said in an interview with Vatican News.
The former Manila archbishop said the moment Prevost reached the two-thirds majority needed to be elected pope was met with thunderous applause from the College of Cardinals, reminiscent of the atmosphere during the election of Pope Francis in 2013.
“The Cardinals expressed joy and gratitude for their brother, Cardinal Prevost,” Tagle shared. “But it was also an intimate moment between Jesus and him, which we could not enter nor disturb.”
“I said to myself, ‘Let holy silence envelop Jesus and Peter,’” he added.
Prevost, an American-born Augustinian missionary who served in Peru before joining the Roman Curia, was elected on the second day of the conclave following the death of Pope Francis.
Tagle, who heads the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization, earlier described Pope Leo XIV as a leader with “a deep and patient capacity for listening,” and someone who makes decisions with “careful study and reflection.”
The two prelates had worked closely together in the Roman Curia since 2023.
A conclave marked by unity
Despite speculation about divisions within the Church before the conclave, Tagle said the voting process was marked by "communion of minds and hearts."
“Before any major global event, you hear speculation, analysis and predictions — and a conclave is no different,” Tagle said in an interview with Vatican News.
The former Manila archbishop recalled that in 2013, Pope Benedict XVI was still alive when cardinals gathered to elect a new pope. In contrast, the 2025 conclave followed the death of Pope Francis.
“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,” he said.
Tagle said that both conclaves, which resulted in the elections of Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV, respectively, concluded on the second day, defying early claims that the Church was deeply divided and the cardinals lacked clarity in choosing a successor.
