Leo XIV, a meticulous and details-oriented leader, made sure everything was in order before his operation. A couple of days before announcing he was going in for surgery, the pope confirmed the election of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, a high-ranking Vatican official from the Philippines, to the important role of Dean of the College of Cardinals. This is the position held by the fictional Cardinal Lawrence played by Ralph Fiennes in the movie “Conclave,” released in the months before the real-life papal election that chose Leo.
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| Britannica |
The appointment of Tagle, who stood in for Leo to preside at Wednesday’s mass at the Vatican, has acquired a new significance with the pope in the hospital. The dean, who is the “first among equals” leader of the college, plays a crucial role in presiding over a conclave (providing he’s under 80) and the pre-conclave meetings. Any future papal election is considered far into the future. But the appointment of the 69-year-old Tagle, a charismatic figure previously tipped as a possible pope, was an important piece of housekeeping.
Leo’s cancer diagnosis has been met by an outpouring of public support. It offers an opportunity for him to connect with so many other individuals and families who have been affected by the illness.
