POPE FRANCIS APPOINTS CALOOCAN BISHOP DAVID AS NEW FILIPINO CARDINAL

Pope Francis named Bishop Pablo Virgilio David as a new cardinal of the Catholic Church, a consistory on December 8 will formalize David’s new title (Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN News)

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio “Ambo” David was appointed as one of the new cardinals of the Catholic Church by Pope Francis, the Vatican City announced.

During Pope Francis weekly Sunday Angelus, where he leads a prayer in honor of Mary, addresses global issues, and occasionally makes surprise announcements such David’s new appointment.

David has been serving as the bishop of the Diocese of Kalookan since 2016 after his stint as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Fernando in Pampanga, and he is on his second term as president of the conference of Filipino bishops.

David was born in Betis, Pampanga and is a prominent Bible scholar. He obtained his licentiate and doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. And he earned his bachelor’s degree in Pre-Divinity from Ateneo and his master’s degree in Theology from the Loyola School of Theology.

David has been a vocal critic of the past administration's bloody anti-drugs campaign and red-tagging. “I have opened my parishes for drug rehabilitation and I believe it is a way of saving lives.”

Traditionally, in the Philippines, cardinals were often the archbishops of the archdioceses of Cebu and Manila. Cardinals historical power and influence ranks second to the Pope in terms of title, means they are still called the princes of the Church.

Though Francis has told them not to live like royalty and to be close to the poor. But their main duty is to attend the conclave where they elect a new pope in case of a papal death or abdication. 

Just a few days before the opening of the Jubilee Year of 2025, the pope said the consistory for the creation of new cardinals will be held on December 8, 2024. The December 8 consistory, which will make David and 20 others cardinals, will be the 10th consistory called by the Pope since his election 11 years ago as the first pontiff from Latin America.

Source: ABS-CBN News 

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