The chance that Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle could be the next pope has just increased with his promotion as Cardinal Bishop, a title given to members of the highest order within the College of Cardinals.
The announcement was made May 1 and officially made Tagle one of 11 to bear this role as well as the first Asian to reach such heights.
Cardinal-Bishops, according to America Magazine, are titular heads of a suburbican church, or ancient churches in dioceses around the city of Rome. The number of priests under this rank was traditionally six, but Pope Francis began adding more in 2018.
In February, Tagle moved to the Vatican after the Pope appointed him Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. According to the statement from the Holy See, a special rescript puts Tagle on the same level as those who have a title to a suburbicarian church.
According to the Code of Canon Law, the college of cardinals is divided and ranked into bishops, priests, and deacons.