A son’s loss: Pope Leo XIV comforts Cardinal Tagle after his father’s passing

Floyd Brenz., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
September 08, 2026

Photo Courtesy: Catholic Standard

Before he was a cardinal, a Vatican official or a former Archbishop of Manila, Luis Antonio Tagle was simply a son mourning the loss of his father.

That loss drew a message of comfort from Pope Leo XIV, who offered his condolences to the Filipino cardinal following the death of his father, Manuel “Tatay Maning” Tagle Sr., at the age of 96.

In his message, the Pope said he was deeply saddened by the passing of the elder Tagle and assured the family of his prayers and spiritual closeness as they grieve.

The Holy Father also invoked the Christian hope of resurrection, offering an apostolic blessing to Cardinal Tagle and everyone who cherishes his father’s memory.

Manuel Sr. died Sunday, with his son in Rome at the time. Cardinal Tagle later returned to the Philippines, asking the faithful to pray for his father’s eternal rest.

For the Tagle family, the coming days will be a time not of public duties or church titles, but of remembering a husband, a father and the man they called “Tatay Maning.”

The wake and viewing will continue until September 9 at Casas Hall in the Bishop’s House in Imus, followed by a funeral Mass at 10 a.m. on September 10 at Imus Cathedral.

Cardinal Tagle now serves as pro-prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization, after previously leading the Archdiocese of Manila.

But amid those responsibilities, one moment stands apart.

For a son who has lost his father, no title is bigger than the grief—and no distance is greater than the longing to say goodbye.