Pope Francis elevates Bishop David as 10th Filipino cardinal

POPE FRANCIS has elevated Diocese of Kalookan (Caloocan) Bishop Pablo Virgilio David to the rank of cardinal, becoming the 10th Filipino to hold the title. 

 

David, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), received his red hat, along with 20 others, during a consistory at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Saturday (early Sunday morning, PH time).

 

The CBCP News said the event was the Holy Father's 10th consistory to create new cardinals from six continents during his 11-year pontificate.

 

During the ceremony, the new cardinals recited the Creed to make a profession of faith, then took an oath of fidelity and obedience before the pope and his successors.

 

Each cardinal approached the pope, kneeled before him to receive the red biretta, the cardinal’s ring, and a document naming their titular church. 

 

Pope Francis encouraged the group of 21 to “walk in the way of Jesus: together, with humility, wonder and joy.”

 

He reminded the prelates who received the red hat that just as Jesus’ ascent to Jerusalem was not an ascent to worldly glory but to the glory of God, they too must put the Lord at the centre and be builders of communion and unity, according to Vatican News.

 

“Our hearts can go astray, allowing us to be dazzled by the allure of prestige, the seduction of power, by an overly human zeal for the Lord. That is why we need to look within, to stand before God in humility and ask: Where is my heart going?  Where is it directed?  Have I perhaps taken the wrong road?” the pope said.

 

Ordained priest of the Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga in 1983, David was named auxiliary bishop there in 2006 at the age of 47.

 

In 2015, Pope Francis appointed him bishop of the Diocese of Kalookan.

 

David has been president of the CBCP since 2021.

 

In February, he was elected vice president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.

 

Meanwhile, a thanksgiving mass will be held on Dec. 14, with the venue to be announced soon.

 

In a statement, the diocese is inviting the Catholic community of Caloocan City to join in offering prayers of gratitude and support for David as he assumes his important new responsibility.

 

“Cardinal David’s elevation is a testament to the vibrant faith of the local Church and its growing role within the Universal Church. This is a moment of celebration, not only for the Diocese of Kalookan but for the entire nation,” it said. (Ferdinand Patinio)