Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David thanked the Filipino faithful who prayed for him as Pope Francis officially elevated him to the rank of cardinal.
In a video message shared by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Sunday, David shared how he felt the support of those prayers during the consistory ceremony held at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
“Gusto ko lang magpasalamat lalong lalo na sa lahat ng mga kapatid sa Diocese of Caloocan na nag-organize ng isang… bilang panalangin sa paghahanda ko dito sa Roma para sa konsistoryo,” David said.
(I want to especially thank all the brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Caloocan who organized a prayer vigil for me as I prepared here in Rome for the consistory.)
“Maraming salamat din sa lahat ng mga kaibigan, mga kakilala, mga kababayan sa Pilipinas na sumama sa akin sa pananalangin,” he added.
(Thank you also to all my friends, acquaintances, and fellow Filipinos in the Philippines who joined me in prayer.)
The newly appointed cardinal also shared that he was looking forward to returning to the Philippines this Wednesday.
“I’m looking forward sa aking pag-uwi nitong darating na Miyerkules. Thank you and see you all soon,” he said.
During the consistory ceremony, David received a cardinal ring, a tube containing documents proclaiming his new status as a cardinal, and a red biretta. He will also be assigned a titular church in Rome.
David is now the 10th Filipino cardinal, joining Cardinals Jose Advincula of Manila and Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization.
David was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of San Fernando in 1983 and was appointed auxiliary bishop there in 2006 at the age of 47. In 2015, Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Kalookan.
He has been serving as the CBCP president since 2021. — DVM, GMA Integrated News
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