Camille Naredo

Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David leads a requiem Mass for the late Pope Francis at the San Roque Cathedral on April 22, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

20250422-mass for pope francis-kalookan cathedral

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David on Tuesday downplayed the circulating list on social media that supposedly showed the &quot;top contenders&quot; to succeed Pope Francis as the leader of the Catholic Church, saying this was &quot;arbitrary.&quot; Asked about the &quot;papabili&quot; or those being talked as front-runners to become the next Pope, Cardinal David said nobody dreams of becoming the next Pope because of the huge task this entails. Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88, the Vatican said. His passing came almost a month after leaving hospital following five weeks battling double pneumonia.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/4/22/pope-francis-death-from-a-stroke-sets-off-global-tributes-mourning-0922">READ: Pope Francis death from a stroke sets off global tributes, mourning</a></div>&quot;Sino ang papabile is very arbitrary. Whoever said na si Bergoglio ay papabile – andaming mga hinulaan. Sabi nila ang mga kardinal na papasok sa conclave na nangangarap maging Papa, paglabas niya kardinal pa rin siya,&quot; said the cardinal. &quot;Walang nangangarap na trabaho ito… Pino-project natin ang concept ng politics sa simbahan,&quot; he added. Pope Francis appointed three of the 10 Filipino cardinals in Church history, including David himself.Meanwhile, another Filipino cardinal, Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, has been spoken of as a potential successor to the pontiff by multiple news outlets.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/4/21/who-might-succeed-pope-francis-2224">READ: Who might succeed Pope Francis?</a></div>But David explained that there are no &quot;candidates&quot; in a conclave.&quot;Wala pong kandidato sa conclave. There&#x27;s no such thing as alam ninyong election. Walang mamimigay ng ayuda, walang maglalagay ng tarpaulin, walang mangangampanya,&quot; he said. &quot;Magdadasal ang mga cardinal, and it is in the spirit of prayer na kailangan itanong namin, hindi ang gusto naming iboto kun&#x27;di ang gusto ng Panginoon na mag-succeed kay Pope Francis,&quot; he added.In the end, Cardinal David said the cardinals and the public should let the Holy Spirit decide on who would be fit to become the next Pope during the conclave, which he described as a &quot;retreat&quot; for cardinals. &quot;Malaki ang aming moral and spiritual obligation to enter into the conclave not in the spirit of politics but in the spirit of prayer,&quot; he said.Cardinals of all ages are invited to the congregations, although only those under the age of 80 are eligible to vote for a new pope in the conclave.The conclave should begin no less than 15 and no more than 20 days after the death of the pope.A total of 126 cardinals worldwide, according to David, could be the next Pope.

Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David on Tuesday downplayed the circulating list on social media that supposedly showed the "top contenders" to succeed Pope Francis as the leader of the Catholic Church.

Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David on Tuesday downplayed the circulating list on social media that supposedly showed the "top contenders" to succeed Pope Francis as the leader of the Catholic Church.

Cardinal David downplays list of 'top contenders' to succeed Pope Francis

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

BINI

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Nation

Cardinal David downplays list of 'top contenders' to succeed Pope Francis

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 22, 2025 03:57 PM PHT

Read More:

absnews

Pope Francis

Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David

Cardinal David

Pope Francis death

Vatican

conclave

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

Sign Up

I have read and agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

Haven't received our newsletter?

Check your inbox to verify and confirm your subscription.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.