David appointed cardinal: the joy of the poor in the suburbs of the Philippines

The president of the Bishops' Conference, whom Pope Francis announced among the new cardinals, has been bishop of Kalookan since 2015, one of the hardest hit by Duterte's extrajudicial killings in the fight against drugs. A courageous voice in defence of the weak, he has created 20 missionary stations for a Church closer to the poor. The tenth cardinal in the history of the Philippine Church, he joins Tagle and Advincula in the electoral group.

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

A priest since 1983 for the diocese of San Fernando, of which he was also auxiliary bishop, and since 2015 at the head of the diocese of Kalookan in the immense metropolitan area of Manila, Mgr David is a highly respected voice in the Philippine Church, for his courageous stance against social injustice, but he is also known outside the country holding the position of vice-president of the Fabc, the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences.

A staunch advocate of human rights, ‘Bishop Ambo’ - as people affectionately call him - has worked tirelessly with the poor and marginalised, particularly in addressing the pressing issues of poverty and inequality in the Philippines. His pastoral leadership has made him a central figure in upholding the dignity of those who are most vulnerable in society.

Archbishop David is currently in Rome for the Synod being held at the Vatican and just Saturday - a few hours before the pope's announcement - he had spoken at the briefing with journalists about the missionary experience of the Philippine Church among the migrants who go from rural centres to crowd the outskirts of the cities. ‘If the poor do not come to the Church, the Church must go to the poor,’ he had commented, telling of the creation of 20 mission stations in his diocese that is transforming the life of the parishes. ‘It is a wonderful pastoral experience,’ he had commented.

Asked about David's appointment as a cardinal, Capiz Archbishop Monsignor Victor B. Bendico said that his ‘is a well-known voice that speaks for the poor and marginalised’. Arlene Arungayan Donarber, laywoman and staff member of Radio Veritas Asia, described him as ‘one of the best influencers in the Philippine Church, a leader with a humble heart, which makes him an inspiration to all. We all pray for his pastoral journey and ministry'.

Agnes Brazal, theologian and lecturer, comments: ‘David is a good theologian and administrator, as well as a courageous voice for the victims of extrajudicial killings during former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs. Indeed, Kalookan was one of the areas most affected by the Philippine government's bloody anti-drug campaign. During those years, Bishop David courageously used his position to speak out against acts of violence, upholding the rights of the weak and the sanctity of life. ‘Lord, my life is in your hands,’ Bishop David often repeats in his prayer, and it is the attitude with which he is also preparing to begin this new service to the universal Church. As of 8 December, he will become the tenth cardinal in the history of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, joining two other current Philippine cardinal electors: Pro-Prefect of the Department of Evangelisation Luis Antonio Tagle and Archbishop of Manila Jose Advincula.

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• Kalookan
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