How Caloocan Bishop Pablo David learned he was appointed to be a cardinal
Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David has been appointed a cardinal of the Catholic Church by Pope Francis along with 20 others.
The Pope made the announcement from a window overlooking St. Peter's Square on Oct. 6 during his weekly Sunday Angelus. He named 21 new cardinals from different countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Japan, Canada, Australia, India, and more.
David, the president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), is among those who will get the red hat in a ceremony called a consistory on Dec. 8.
Cardinals rank second to the Pope and serve as his principal counselors. As part of the College of Cardinals, they also are the ones to elect the next pontiff.
On Facebook, David shared how he found out about his appointment after enjoying a quiet Sunday morning at Collegio Filippino.
"After my late 'coffee with Jesus,' my phone started ringing. I ignored it because I was also preparing my Sunday homily for my 4 p.m. mass at the Sta. Pudenziana Chruch. Besides, the call registered an international call so I restrained myself from answering it because I'm using a Philippine SIM card," he wrote.
The bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalookan added that he later figured it was a call from the Vatican about the pope's announcement.
"Later at noon, the procurator at the Collegio sent me [a] congratulatory message on WhatsApp. I texted back and said 'For what?' He texted again and said, 'Na-announce po na Cardinal kayo.' I texted back and said: 'Joke?!'" David recalled.
He continued to describe the experience as "like being caught in a whirlwind" as messages began pouring in.
"[It] felt like Elijah standing by the mouth of a cave and feeling a soft breeze that penetrated my soul and prepared me for this new chapter of my life and ministry as a bishop, as a servant of God’s people. I said, 'Ok, Lord. My life is in your hands.'"
David, 65, has served as bishop of the Diocese of Kalookan since 2016 after serving as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Fernando in Pampanga.
The CBCP president made waves in 2019 when he spoke out against former president Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs in his diocese. Several killings were taking place in Caloocan, Malabon, and Navotas amid the drug war.
David is the brother of sociologist and professor Randy David and the uncle of journalist Kara David.
He will be the 10th Filipino to be named cardinal.