Mark Lambert @sitsio Cardinal Tagle's election as Dean of the College of Cardinals is becoming more intriguing by the day. New reporting from Vatican correspondent Nico Spuntoni suggests that Cardinal Parolin, who presided over the conclave that elected Leo XIV, was effectively passed over for the very office that would ordinarily place him at the centre of the next papal election. Why? And what does this tell us about the emerging relationships within Leo's Vatican? There is also a fascinating wider picture. We now have an American Pope and a Filipino Dean, while the influence of Pope Francis remains deeply embedded in the Church's senior leadership. What might this mean for the traditionally powerful Italian establishment? In my latest Regina Unscripted article, I explore the significance of Tagle's extraordinary rise, the intriguing questions surrounding Parolin, and what these developments reveal about authority, influence and the future direction of Leo XIV's pontificate. A story about far more than Vatican personalities. Read my analysis 馃憞 From reginaunscripted.org 8:03 AM · Oct 18, 2026 · 68.3K Views
Cardinal Tagle's election as Dean of the College of Cardinals is becoming more intriguing by the day.
New reporting from Vatican correspondent Nico Spuntoni suggests that Cardinal Parolin, who presided over the conclave that elected Leo XIV, was effectively passed over for the very office that would ordinarily place him at the centre of the next papal election.
Why? And what does this tell us about the emerging relationships within Leo's Vatican?
There is also a fascinating wider picture. We now have an American Pope and a Filipino Dean, while the influence of Pope Francis remains deeply embedded in the Church's senior leadership. What might this mean for the traditionally powerful Italian establishment?
In my latest Regina Unscripted article, I explore the significance of Tagle's extraordinary rise, the intriguing questions surrounding Parolin, and what these developments reveal about authority, influence and the future direction of Leo XIV's pontificate.
A story about far more than Vatican personalities.
Read my analysis 
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