Asia

the joy of the poor in the peripheries of the Philippines

Pope Francis announced among the new cardinals Bishop David, president of the Philippine Episcopal Conference, who since 2015 has been bishop of Kalookan, one of the areas most affected by Duterte’s extrajudicial executions in the fight against drugs. A brave voice in defense of the weak, he created 20 mission stations for a Church closer to the poor. Tenth cardinal in the history of the Philippine Church, he joins Tagle and Advíncula in the group of electors.

Manila () – The news of the appointment as cardinal of Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, bishop of Kalookan, one of the smallest dioceses in the Philippines, was received with great joy by lay people, priests and bishops. As announced yesterday after the Angelus, Bishop David – who is 65 years old and has been president of the Episcopal Conference of the Philippines since 2021 – will receive the purple on December 8 along with 20 other new cardinals from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru , Italy, Great Britain, Serbia, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, Ivory Coast and Algeria.

Bishop David was ordained a priest in 1983 for the diocese of San Fernando, of which he was later auxiliary bishop, and since 2015 he has headed the diocese of Kalookan, in the immense metropolitan area of ​​Manila. He is a highly respected voice in the Philippine Church for his courageous stance against social injustices, and is also known outside the country as vice president of the FABC, the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.

A staunch defender of human rights, “Bishop Ambo” – as people affectionately call him – has worked tirelessly with the poor and marginalized, especially to address the pressing problems of poverty and inequality in the Philippines. His pastoral leadership has made him a central figure in defending the dignity of the most vulnerable people in society.

These days Bishop David is in Rome to attend the Synod taking place in the Vatican, and on Saturday – a few hours before the Pope’s announcement – he participated in the briefing with journalists where he spoke about the Church’s missionary experience Filipino with immigrants who arrive from rural areas and gather on the outskirts of the cities. “If the poor do not come to the Church, the Church must go to the poor,” he commented when describing the creation of 20 mission stations in his diocese, which are transforming the life of the parishes. “It is a wonderful pastoral experience,” he commented.

Regarding David’s appointment as cardinal, the Archbishop of Capiz, Bishop Victor B. Bendico, said that “he is a well-known voice that speaks for the poor and marginalized.” Arlene Arungayan Donarber, laywoman and staff member of Radio Veritas Asiadefines him as “one of the best influencers of the Philippine Church, a leader who has a humble heart, which makes him an inspiration for everyone. “We are all praying for his pastoral journey and his ministry.”

Agnes Brazal, theologian and teacher of Theology, comments: “David is a good theologian and administrator, and also a courageous voice for the victims of extrajudicial executions during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.” In fact, Kalookan was one of the areas most affected by the Philippine government’s bloody anti-drug campaign. In those years, Bishop David courageously used his position to denounce acts of violence, advocating for the rights of the weak and the sanctity of life. “Lord, my life is in your hands,” Bishop David frequently repeats in his prayer, and this is the attitude with which he prepares to begin this new service to the universal Church. On December 8, he will become the tenth cardinal in the history of the Philippine Catholic Church, joining the other two current Filipino cardinal electors: the pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization Luis Antonio Tagle and the archbishop of Manila José Advíncula.



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