Pope Francis formally elevated Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan to cardinal during a consistory at St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, December 7.
David, who also serves as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), was among 21 prelates from six continents receiving the red biretta, cardinal’s ring, and a titular church.
This marks the 10th consistory of Pope Francis’ 11-year papacy, further shaping the College of Cardinals, which now includes 256 members—141 of whom are eligible to vote for the next pope.
In his homily, the pope called on the new cardinals to follow Jesus’ example by walking with “humility, wonder, and joy” and by being “builders of communion and unity.”
David, the second Kapampangan cardinal after Rufino Cardinal Santos, was ordained in 1983. A former auxiliary bishop of San Fernando, he has been bishop of Kalookan since 2015 and president of the CBCP since 2021.
He also serves as vice president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) and is part of a council tasked with advancing synodality in the Church.