The conclave starts. Why this moment matters for Southern California’s Filipino Catholics

The conclave to elect the new leader of the Roman Catholic church is underway, and one cardinal has become a favorite among Filipino Americans in Los Angeles, which is home to more than half a million Filipinos.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, a 67-year-old from Manila, would be the first Filipino pope, if elected.

Tagle has been compared to his potential predecessor, the late Pope Francis, for his progressive views. He’s also garnered unexpected attention from younger generations, going viral on TikTok and starring in K-Pop style “Pinoy Pope” fan edits.

Father Rodel Balagtas, a priest at Incarnation Catholic Church in Glendale who has known Tagle for decades, told LAist it would be a joy and source of pride for all Filipino Catholics to have the cardinal lead the church. The Philippines is Asia’s largest Catholic country.

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“I think the Filipino diaspora  will rejoice of having one of us being the pope,” he said. “Can you imagine that?  The pope came from the peripheries, from the distant lands, and we're so proud of him.”

What SoCal church leaders say

Balagtas knows Tagle as a humble, accessible and charismatic man. He thinks Tagle’s connection with people, in both angst and joy, is part of what’s drawn them in.

“ He's a man who is very human,” he said. “He's very humorous. He cracks jokes whenever he speaks. … He's an eloquent speaker, you know, and at the same time, he touches our hearts and minds of people.”

Father Michael Montoya, the pastor at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Claremont who has worked with Tagle on several occasions, told LAist that one of the things they like about the cardinal is his ability to make theology relatable.

“ There are only a few people that I know that can easily do that,” he said. “And that for me is a testament that he really has the pulse of the people, that he really knows the experience of the ordinary churchgoer, ordinary people.”

While he thinks it would be wonderful if Tagle became pope, Montoya also cautioned against the conversations on social media and the political language being used to refer to the conclave.

“The conclave is the cardinals’ meeting and discerning together in prayers … to where the spirit is leading the church at this particular moment in our history,” he said. “Then in all honesty, in all sincerity, based on the discernment, then choose and elect the right leader for us at this particular point in time.”

Whether it's Tagle or one of the other cardinals, Montoya and Balagtas will be praying for the new pope.

“ It takes a man of courage to be able to do that job,” Balagtas said.

A view from inside the Incarnation Catholic Church in Glendale.

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Makenna Sievertson

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LAist

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Who is Tagle?

Tagle is a prelate of the Catholic Church, or in other words, he’s a high ranking member of the clergy. Out of 133 cardinals in the conclave, Tagle is one of the youngest.

If elected, he would be the first Filipino pope in history and the first to come from Asia in centuries. Similarly, Pope Francis was the first from Argentina and the first non-European head of the church in more than a millennium.

Tagle has been branded by one publication as the “the Gay Internet’s Favorite Papal Candidate.” He criticized the “harsh words” used towards people who are gay or divorced, as well as unwed mothers, in 2015.

He prefers to go by the nickname “Chito” and has been referred to as the “Asian Francis.”

Reaction for LA's Filipinotown

Rosela Sausa, a Filipino American Catholic who has known of Tagle since she was 7, told LAist she considers him a popular and kind cardinal.

“ He's nice, a good priest, you know, and we love him,” she said. “We’re very proud.”

Greg Cheong, an international student from Manila who attended Mass at Saint Colomban Catholic Church near Filipinotown, told LAist he’s really excited by the idea of Tagle as pope.

“ I think that the world is ready for that,” he said. “ I think that Filipinos just set such a great example in their faith, and in their dedication.”

Cheong added that Filipinos loved the previous pope “so much,” and Tagle feels like a proper continuation of Francis’ legacy of mercy and compassion.

Victoria Jacobson used to attend an annual Mass led by Tagle. She told LAist the community feels like family and she would be proud to see him promoted — if it is God’s will.

“ Wow, that will be an honor to the Philippines and to the whole Filipino [community],” she said.

How to watch the conclave

You can watch a St. Peter’s Square livestream here from Vatican News.