Pope Francis (left) speaks with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle during the Synod on the family, at the Vatican, on October 5, 2015. Tiziana Fabi, AFP/File

MANILA — Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is joining a temporary panel, composed of the camerlengo and 2 other cardinals, in charge of some preparations for the conclave set on May 7.

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"Tagle joined the 'Particular Congregation'... to assist the Camerlengo in preparations for the May 7 conclave that will elect the next pope," the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said in a press release Monday.

CBCP explained that "Particular Congregation" is one of the two bodies overseeing the administration of the Church during the sede vacante, or vacancy in the Holy See. The other one is "General Congregation," which includes all members of the College of Cardinals. 

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Joining Tagle in Particular Congregation were German Cardinal Reinhard Marx and French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti.

The CBCP noted that the three cardinals' posts are "rotating" and they will be replaced by the General Congregation every three days.

Tagle has been consistently tagged as a "frontrunner" to be the next pope, but several experts have said that a conclave is "unpredictable."

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The Vatican on Monday announced that cardinals will meet on May 7 to start voting for a new pope a week after the death of Pope Francis.