Cardinal Tagle to lead Vatican Mass as Pope Leo recovers

This photo taken and handout on May 18, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle putting the Fisherman's Ring on a finger of Pope Leo XIV during a Holy mass for the beginning of his pontificate, in St Peter's square in The Vatican. (

Photo by handout / Vatican Media / AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is set to preside over a Mass in Vatican City amid Pope Leo’s hospitalization following his medical procedure.

In a press conference on October 13 (Vatican time), Jesuit priest Giacomo Costa announced that Tagle is set to preside over the Mass at 10 a.m. (Vatican time).

According to the Vatican’s calendar, the Eucharistic celebration will conclude the meeting marking the 10th anniversary of the publication of the apostolic exhortation “Amoris Laetitia.”

The Mass will also include prayers for the Pope’s health and for families, according to Costa.

“He is going to preside over the Mass during which we will pray in a special way for the health of the Holy Father, as well as for all families and couples,” Costa said in Italian.

Tagle, the pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, was also recently appointed dean of the College of Cardinals.

Tagle was the first Filipino and Asian to hold the said position, which is traditionally held by Europeans. He replaces Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.

Meanwhile, the Vatican also announced that Pope Leo’s surgery to remove a lung nodule was successful. Doctors at Gemelli Hospital in Rome said, “The Pope woke up normally and, after a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the tenth floor.”

However, the doctors also diagnosed the pontiff with lung adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer.