Cardinal David to poll bets: Help one another to lead by example
Pablo Virgilio David —PHOTO FROM ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF KALOOKAN (DIOCESE OF KALOOKAN)
MANILA, Philippines — Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David has something to tell the candidates in the upcoming elections: let us help one another to have leaders who lead by example.
This is what David answered during a press conference in Rome when asked of his message to the Filipino faithful who waited for days to find out who the next pope would be.
David expressed his gratitude to the faithful as he hoped for the people to see that electing the new Supreme leader of the Catholic Church is a unique way of choosing a leader.
David, who also participated in the papal race, was reported by the international media as among the “papabile” or cardinals likely to become pope.
“Of course, we know that we distinguish between religious leaders and political leaders. That’s why I address this because this is the election season in our country,” David said in Filipino during a press conference in Rome on Friday evening (Philippine time).
David also mentioned that before he left for Rome for the conclave, he wrote a post saying that “elections in the Catholic Church are far from the elections we know in the Philippines.”
David also said that he hopes for electing leaders to be treated as a “sacred” opportunity.
READ: Cardinal: Prayer, not politics, marks selection of next pope
“This is like my message to the candidates, although there is no candidate in the conclave because we are all candidates: to help one another to have a new model of leadership,” David added in Filipino.
David said that we owe it to God for having previous popes who became excellent leaders of the Catholic Church.
“They have unique qualities… They became role models,” David noted.
Pray for the new pope
Meanwhile, David recalled his “very touching” memory with Pope Leo XIV after his election, fondly sharing that he asked the latter if he could visit the Philippines. David shared that the new pope smiled and said: “if God allows that.”
And as the faithful rejoiced upon the election of Pope Leo XIV, the Filipino cardinals who participated in the Papal race thanked God for granting the gift of a new pope.
Jose Cardinal Advincula said that being a pope is a “very difficult and great responsibility,” thus the new pope will be needing prayers.
READ: Cardinal Tagle on Pope Leo XIV: ‘Very human, humble, but discerning’
“The pope needs our prayers, our offerings for his pastoral ministry and his sacrifices and we should do that, not just because he was newly elected as a pope, but as long as he continues his service to us,” Advincula said in Filipino during the same press conference.
On the other hand, Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle emphasized the strong love the Filipinos have for the popes. He circled back to the previous Papal visits of Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis where millions of Filipinos came to see them.
“Because of love and faith, I hope that’s what we also show Pope Leo XIV,” Tagle told reporters in Filipino during the same press conference.
The three Filipino cardinals participated in the Papal race in the Vatican. A white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel past midnight of May 9 (Philippine time), indicating that the cardinal electors have chosen late Pope Francis’ successor.
An hour after, Prevost appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as Pope Leo XIV, waving his hands, smiling, and bowing to the thousands of people. /jpv
