Claim: Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle was inaugurated as Pope Luis I on May 4, 2025.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The viral YouTube video containing the claim currently has 7,400 views and 128 likes as of writing. It was posted on May 5 by the channel History Documentary Hub, which has 9,520 subscribers.
The video is titled “Breaking: Pope Luis I’s First Message to the Catholics After Coronation!” and its thumbnail shows an edited image of Tagle wearing a gold robe, papal miter, and a red sash.
The video’s narrator says, “On May 4th, 2025, a significant event unfolded that will be etched in the annals of history. As the clock struck midnight, the world witnessed a momentous occasion: Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines was inaugurated as Pope Luis I.” The narrator then shares Tagle’s life and mission work as well as his qualities that supposedly led him to the papacy.
The facts: Tagle has not made any announcement, nor was he announced as the new pope, as the conclave that will elect the successor of the late Pope Francis will begin on Wednesday, May 7. At the time of the video’s posting, the conclave had not yet begun. (LIVE COVERAGE: Conclave 2025)
A pope can only be elected through a conclave, where the 133 cardinals eligible to participate in the papal elections will select the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Cardinals can vote as many as four times a day, and voting will continue until a new pope is elected. Once the votes are counted, the ballots are burned, and either black or white smoke is released. Black smoke indicates no majority vote and no pope elected. Meanwhile, if the necessary two-thirds majority has been achieved, white smoke will be emitted to signal the election of the 267th pontiff.
Filipino cardinals: There are three Filipino cardinal electors in the conclave: Tagle, Pablo Virgilio David, and Jose Advincula.
Tagle, also known as “Chito”, is known as the Asian Francis because of his progressive advocacies and humility. David is a Jesuit-trained scholar known for defending human rights and protecting children. Advincula, known as a “listening” cardinal, is focused on communities and the grassroots over national policies, gaining praise for his projects and work in Capiz.
Since Francis’ death on April 21, speculations and false information about his successor have circulated on social media. Rappler has previously debunked a similar claim that Tagle had been named the new pope only a few days after Francis’ death. – Isabelle Barlis/Rappler.com
Isabelle Barlis is a Rappler intern. She is also a fourth-year linguistics student from the University of the Philippines Diliman.
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