Kalookan Bishop and CBCP President Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David emphasized that the next pope could be someone less known to the public, echoing the surprising selection of Pope Francis in 2013.
Speaking on Unang Balita, Cardinal David said any of the eligible cardinals could be chosen by the Holy Spirit during the upcoming conclave. While Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is frequently mentioned due to his high profile, David reminded that popularity isn’t a requirement for the papacy.
“Often, it’s the unexpected one that’s chosen. Just like Pope Francis, who wasn’t widely known before,” David said, noting that the process is more about spiritual discernment than public image.
Cardinal David also pointed out how the Catholic Church’s papal election is nothing like the Philippines’ often noisy, campaign-heavy polls. Instead, it’s more like a prayer retreat, aimed at deeply listening to God’s will.
“We don’t go in knowing who to vote for. We go in to ask whom the Lord wants us to vote for,” he said.
Cardinal David is set to leave for Rome on Thursday to attend Pope Francis’ funeral and participate in the papal election alongside fellow Filipino cardinals Luis Antonio Tagle and Jose Advincula.
Pope Francis passed away at age 88 due to a stroke and irreversible heart failure, following complications from double pneumonia. He served as Pope since 2013 and was the first pontiff from the Americas and the first Jesuit to hold the position.