Filipino prelate Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, a native of Cavite, is one of the top two candidates being eyed to become the next pope according to a Catholic Herald report.
Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdő, the archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, is the other leading contender for papacy according to the same report.
Pope Francis, after his recent trip to Canada, said he is considering retirement over health concerns particularly due to his strained knee.
As the Catholic Herald reported, Tagle is viewed as a liberal or progressive representative of the Church while Erdő is considered a traditionalist or a conservative.
Dubbed as the “Asian Francis,” Tagle is a former bishop of Imus and former archbishop of Manila before assuming his new positions in Rome.
Tagle is a new member of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments. He is also currently the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
Thumbnail photo courtesy of CBCP News website