In cathedrals across the Philippines, Catholics are awaiting next week's conclave to choose the next pope with guarded optimism.
While some are hesitant to say it, there's tremendous hope here that a 67-year-old hailing from the city of Imus, south of Manila, could make history and become the first ever pope from Asia.
Luis Tagle is among the 135 cardinals hunkering down in the Vatican to choose a new leader of 1.4 billion Catholics, and church observers regularly rank him among the top contenders for the role.
He was ordained as a priest in 1982 and was made a cardinal by Pope Francis's predecessor, pope Benedict XVI, in 2012.
"We Filipinos always think we are underdogs in world affairs, so a Filipino pope, a major world leader, would definitely give us pride," said Michael Xiao Chua, a historian at De La Salle University in Manila.
At multiple cathedrals in the capital in the days after Pope Francis's death, many worshippers told the ABC they had their fingers crossed for the former Archbishop of Manila.
"I'm rooting for him, he's one of the most cheerful people I've ever encountered," said Danna Armela Abel Nidea, a member of a parish choir.
"He stands for what is right, regardless of your gender," she said, a nod to the somewhat progressive reputation Cardinal Tagle has carved out in the Philippines and abroad.
Much of it stems from comments he made in a 2015 speech at Wembley Arena in London, where he told young Catholics that "severe" and "harsh" stances by the church towards LGBT people, divorcees and single mothers had caused lasting harm.
Emphasising "mercy" as a central theme, he later told the UK Telegraph "many people who belonged to these groups were branded and that led to their isolation from wider society".
Within the International Catholic press, Cardinal Tagle was already dubbed a potential future pope in the early years of Pope Francis's papacy, due to his emphasis on pastoral solutions to contentious issues like divorce, which is still illegal in the Philippines.
This isn't necessarily to his advantage.
Moderate, timid or progressive?
Prominent Catholic commentator Paul Collins has noted in his guide of likely papal contenders that media speculation about his chances is"not always a recommendation to his cardinal colleagues".
But within the Philippines, debate has erupted on the internet in the days after Pope Francis's death about whether Cardinal Tagle is forceful enough on contentious issues.
"I think he's a moderate on the issues of justice, of sexual ethics, and even the ethics of computers and AI, he would not take a very radical or progressive point of view," said Manila-based priest Robert Reyes, who studied with Cardinal Tagle.
"He would study all the existing church positions, and more or less synthesise them and come up with a very balanced and middle of the road position."
Father Reyes described his former classmate as a "brilliant" yet unassuming student who used to help others with their studies.
But he questioned whether Cardinal Tagle had been overly cautious during his ascent through the church.
In particular, Father Reyes is critical of Cardinal Tagle's relative timidity during his time as Archbishop of Manila.
That coincided with a bloody drug crackdown launched by then-president Rodrigo Duterte, who is now awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court over allegations of extrajudicial killings.
"He does not make trouble, whoever is the church leader, he supports the leader very well," Father Reyes told the ABC.
"In terms of addressing controversy and addressing contentious issues, Cardinal Chito would not venture into dangerous waters," he said, using the name Cardinal Tagle is often referred to in the Philippines.
Others say Cardinal Tagle is viewed as a relatively open-minded ally for progressive issues, but not a leader who has substantially changed attitudes in the Philippines.
"Yes we have this figure in the Philippines Catholic Church who is more of an open minded cardinal, but you also have priests every day on the ground who are talking to their community, who aren't fully in agreement with what he's saying," said Redd de Guzman, an advocate of changing laws to allow divorce in the Philippines.
Despite his reputation, Cardinal Tagle's approach has been far from radical.
While signalling greater compassion, he's staunchly defended church positions on key issues, such as opposing government efforts to provide access to contraceptives.
"The Catholic Church itself in the Philippines remains less liberal and less progressive," said Mr de Guzman, who says long-held church opposition to legalising divorce has dissuaded politicians from supporting the change.
"Some of the criticism of Tagle here is about his approach, that he's more of an academic, that he's more suited to an administrative role," said Professor Xiao Chua.
Staff at the cathedral in Imus, where Cardinal Tagle was ordained in 1982, declined to make a priest available for interview about his years there.
A humble, simple style
Worshippers, including some who are his relatives, say they're incredibly proud that a son of Imus has risen so high.
"Ever since he was small, he was a good boy," said Dolly Paradez, who told the ABC Cardinal Tagle is the son of her first cousin.
A neighbour of the house where Cardinal Tagle grew up, Edwin Santos, said the cardinal eschews the privileges of his position when he returns home to visit his ailing father.
"He's a simple guy, he doesn't have a bodyguard," he said.
Like Pope Francis, this humble style appears to be a powerful part of Cardinal Tagle's appeal.
And being from the third-largest Catholic nation, with a Chinese maternal grandmother, his rise to become the next pope would also send a powerful message about the modern church's priorities.
"We've always felt we're on the periphery of church affairs, the focus has always been on the West," said Dr Chua.
"But now the real centre of Catholicism is Asia and Africa, and it's high time we consider a pope from the peripheries."
