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Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David delivers his homily during Mass for the eternal repose of the soul of Pope Francis at the Kalookan Cathedral on April 22, 2025. (CBCP News/Roy Lagarde)“This is the only election where there are no candidates.”
This was how Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David described the sacred character of the conclave that will elect the next pope, drawing a sharp contrast to the entertainment and money-driven Philippine elections.
READ: Factbox: What is a Roman Catholic conclave and who takes part? | Forget the film: Vatican is preparing for the real ‘Conclave’ | How the next pope will be elected – what goes on at the conclave
Speaking to journalists before he left for Rome to attend the funeral of the late Pope Francis, David stressed that the conclave is not like any political contest.
“You won’t be able to say, ‘These are the ones who can be pope,’” he said. “Our only obligation is to get to know each other. So we must do our homework. I’m already doing mine”
This will be the first conclave of David, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and Kalookan bishop, who was raised by the late pontiff to the cardinalate in a December 2024 consistory.
David, 66, will join two other Filipino cardinals eligible to vote in the closed-door gathering of the princes of the Church at the Sistine Chapel next month – Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula and Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, pro-prefect at the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization.
READ: Factbox: Who could be the next pope? Some possible candidates
David cautioned Filipinos against projecting the state of Philippine politics onto the process of choosing the pope.
“Don’t project our concept of elections … We know there’s something very sick about the way we conduct our elections… reinforced by the politics of patronage, ayuda (doleout) culture, and disinformation.”
He also described the conclave as a deeply spiritual process akin to a retreat. “We always ask, not who do we want, but who does God [want]. And that requires a lot of discernment.”
The conclave is expected to convene in May, following nine days of Masses at St. Peter’s Basilica that will start on April 27, the day after the funeral of Pope Francis.
A total of 135 cardinals, below 80 years old, are eligible to vote in the papal election.
