As the 2025 Papal Conclave begins on May 7 to elect the next pope, three Filipino cardinals are among the 133 eligible voters — marking the highest number of Filipino participants in any conclave to date.
The three are Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Cardinal Jose Advincula, and Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David. Two are Jesuit-educated, while one is a Thomasian.
Cardinal Jose Advincula, born in Capiz, studied at the University of Santo Tomas and became Archbishop of Manila in 2021. He was named a cardinal in 2020 by Pope Francis and is the first Thomasian to vote in a conclave.
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, the Bishop of Kalookan and current president of the CBCP, has a theology doctorate from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. He has been active in biblical scholarship and was elevated to cardinal in December 2024.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, formerly Archbishop of Manila and currently a key Vatican official, studied theology in the Philippines and the US. He participated in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis and holds several prominent positions within the Vatican.
Out of 135 initially eligible cardinals, two will not participate due to health reasons. The rest have gathered in Rome for daily meetings leading up to the conclave. Among potential frontrunners mentioned internationally are Cardinal Tagle and Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
The College of Cardinals has urged Catholics worldwide to join them in prayer during this significant moment for the Church, as they seek divine guidance in selecting a new spiritual leader for the 1.4 billion-member global Catholic community.