How three Filipino cardinals eligible to be the next pope remember Pope Francis

MANILA: Three Filipino cardinals are in Vatican City ahead of the May 7 papal conclave that will select a new pontiff to lead over a billion Catholics worldwide, following the death of Pope Francis.

Cardinals Luis Antonio Tagle, Jose Advincula and Pablo Virgilio David are among the 135 cardinal-electors under 80 years of age who will convene for the selection process by what is called the College of Cardinals – considered a sacred act by devout Catholics.

While any single Catholic adult male can be elected pope, in practice it is almost always one of the cardinals.

But a familiar refrain among Catholics is that he who enters the conclave of a pope exits a cardinal.

History has shown popular “papibiles”, a term referring to cardinals tagged by Vatican observers as front-runners for the papacy, do not often end up as popes.

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, was not tagged as a “papabile” in 2013.

There is now growing interest in the Philippines and beyond if the next pope will also come from the Global South - or will be as humorous as him.

In 2022, when asked how he was coping with his bad knee, Pope Francis said the pain could use a little tequila.

In an essay published in the New York Times, Pope Francis wrote: "Life inevitably has its sadness, which are part of every path of hope and every path toward conversion. But it is important to avoid wallowing in melancholy at all costs, not to let it embitter the heart."

He said not even clerics are immune from bitterness, but "sometimes we unfortunately come across as bitter, sad priests who are more authoritarian than authoritative, more like old bachelors than wedded to the church, more like officials than pastors, more supercilious than joyful, and this, too, is certainly not good".

Beyond his levity, Pope Francis was also known for gestures of love.

Prior to his death, he donated the entirety of his personal bank account to prisoners, who he often referred to as “brothers and sisters behind bars”.

Below are how the three Filipino cardinals eligible to vote for - and could be voted as - the next pope, remember Pope Francis.

CARDINAL LUIS ANTONIO TAGLE

Considered by religious observers as a papabile, the 67-year-old was part of the conclave that elected Pope Francis in 2013.

He has been an educator of Filipino seminarians.

He was appointed as the Pro-Prefect for the Section of First Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization in 2022.

Often referred to as the “Asian Francis”, he shares similar perspectives with the late pontiff on social justice.

The former archbishop of Manila was educated in Jesuit-run institutions in the Philippines and previously headed an international Catholic-based social action organisation.

Photographed beaming with joy, he was standing right behind Pope Francis on his popemobile during the Argentine pontiff’s visit to the Philippines in 2015.

Like Pope Francis, he is also known for his humour. In a publicly shared anecdote, he once officiated a Catholic wedding where he proceeded to hum a capella style for the bridal walk, underscoring the essence of the tradition as an act of faith and not a display of vanity.

He then said he could no longer wait for the planned release of butterflies as indicated by the wedding planner, adding he was not even sure about the propriety of capturing the butterflies for the ceremony.

In his homily during a mass for the repose of Pope Francis' soul, Cardinal Tagle said that the late pope “took jokes seriously”.

He remembered the charismatic pontiff calling him “this little boy” and him responding to the then-Archbishop of Buenos Aires “this old man” upon arrival at an Italian airport prior to the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis.

Subsequently, Cardinal Tagle had to refer to the “old man” upon being elected pope as “His Holiness”.

CARDINAL PABLO VIRGILIO DAVID

The 66-year-old is the newest Filipino cardinal, having only been named by Pope Francis in December last year.

He was appointed Bishop of Kalookan by Pope Benedict XVI in October 2015.

Cardinal David is known for his charitable work for the surviving kin of the fatalities of the bloody “war on drugs” under former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained at an International Criminal Court facility in the Hague on accusations of crimes against humanity over the deadly drug crackdowns.

At the height of Mr Duterte's anti-drug campaign, Bishop David of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalookan in northern Metro Manila took protective custody of drug war witnesses, whose lives were under constant threat at that time. 

The Philippines’ capital region of Metro Manila has 16 cities and one municipality. Cardinal David's diocese covers Malabon City, Navotas City and the southern part of Caloocan City - all areas with a higher density of underprivileged communities with drug war fatalities.

As he assisted families of drug war victims, Cardinal David received death threats.

He was also “red-tagged”, a term referring to how Filipino advocates are often unduly labelled as communist terrorists for their civic action. Similarly, Pope Francis had been tagged a communist by his critics.

Cardinal David had often recalled how Pope Francis encouraged him to employ what the pontiff called divine humour in dealing with death threats.

He was also reminded by the late pope during their encounter not to let the title “His Eminence” get to his head.

Following Pope Francis' death, Cardinal David underscored the late pontiff’s role as a bridge-builder.

He recalled how the late pope called Filipino migrants “smugglers of faith.”

The Philippines' diaspora comprises over 10 million Filipinos worldwide.

He also remembered how the late pontiff taught the world that the heart of the gospel beats most strongly where poverty and exclusion dwell.

CARDINAL JOSE ADVINCULA

The 73-year-old is the current Archbishop of Manila, appointed to the role by Pope Francis in 2021.

In a morning mass at the Manila Cathedral inside the capital's centuries-old colonial-era walled district, a day following the pope's death, he exhorted the faithful: “Pope Francis showed us what it means to suffer with others and find hope in the midst of pain.”

Cardinal Advincula was ordained as a priest in 1976 and enrolled to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis in 2020.

In a statement on the pope's death, Cardinal Advincula said Pope Francis is remembered “for joyfully witnessing to the Gospel in our world marred by calamity, conflict and despair.”

He said the late pontiff reminded the Catholic flock that “the Church must be close to the poor, merciful to all and a welcoming home for the forgotten.”

“These words resonate in our hearts, for they speak so deeply to the soul of the Filipino faithful,” he said.

Cardinal Advincula added of the pope's legacy: “His presence, prayers and preaching have confirmed us in faith, enlivened our hope and animated us to charity... Let us honour the memory of Pope Francis by learning from his teachings and following his example of Christian life.”

He referred to Pope Francis as Lolo Kiko, a combination of the late pope's nickname and the Filipino term for endearment for grandfather.

FILIPINOS REMEMBER POPE FRANCIS

The Philippines is home to one of the largest Catholic populations in the world, making up nearly 79 per cent of the country, according to official data as of 2020.

Congregations across the nation have been in mourning since Pope Francis’ passing on Apr 21.

“Pope Francis played a huge part in our faith. I cannot summarise the loss in a word. There is a heavy feeling,” said worshipper Conchita Mil, who attended a memorial mass at the Manila Cathedral.

He is best remembered by the nation for exhorting survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest tropical cyclones to ever hit land.

During the late pontiff’s visit in 2015, he addressed the nation under wind and rain, comforting Filipinos and encouraging them to hold on to faith.

As a reformist, Pope Francis commanded respect from people across a spectrum of spiritual beliefs.

He often highlighted the role of the Catholic Church in caring for the wounded and said he views the Church as a field hospital after battle.

The first Latin American to shepherd a flock of over a billion Catholics worldwide, he departed from the conservatism of his predecessors.
  
He wrote apostolic letters on social issues like human trafficking and climate change, always extending the church's embrace to the world's most vulnerable.

An estimated 400,000 people including world leaders turned out for Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican.

The 88-year-old was laid to rest in a simple marble tomb at the basilica of his favourite church in Rome, Santa Maria Maggiore.