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All 115 cardinals will gather in the Vatican for the papal conclave this week and the list of possible candidates is long. Though any one of them could be the next pope, Vatican experts have identified a few potential favorites.
One of the youngest papal candidates, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 55, has made a name for himself as a friendly, media-savvy, humble-yet-gifted public speaker. Very popular in his native Manila, he would be the first Asian pope. His youth could be considered a draw for younger generations of Catholics around the world, yet his inexperience at the Vatican might work against him. He has been applauded for speaking candidly about the sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church and although a papal long shot, Tagle could just be the fresh new face that many Catholics are hoping for.
In this photograph, Cardinal Tagle (C) attends a meeting of prayer at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, March 6, 2013.
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Pope Benedict XVI (L) stands by Cardinal Tagle during an audience to the newly-appointed cardinals at Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Nov. 26, 2012.
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Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Tagle, celebrates Mass at a church in Manila, Feb. 13, 2013.
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Cardinal Tagle cries after the ceremony where he was appointed by the pontif, Nov. 24, 2012 at St Peter's basilica at the Vatican.
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Cardinal Tagle attends a meeting of prayer at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, March 6, 2013.
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Commemorative plates and mugs of Pope Benedict XVI, left, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, center, and the late Pope John Paul II, are displayed at a restaurant in Manila, Philippines, Feb. 28, 2013.
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Cardinal Tagle poses with his family after the ceremony where he was appointed by the pontif as cardinal, Nov. 24, 2012 at St Peter's basilica at the Vatican.
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Cardinal Tagle sits during a Mass at a Catholic gathering in Manila, Feb. 16, 2013.
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Cardinal Tagle's image appears on a screen as he stands below (2nd L) giving mass to the faithful at a Catholic gathering in Manila, Feb. 16, 2013.
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Cardinal Tagle waves to photographers after a service at a church in Manila, Feb. 13, 2013.
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Cardinal Tagle, right, is greeted by Father Thomas Rosica prior to the start of a vespers celebration in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, March 6, 2013.
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