A tale of two elections
I’ve heard it said that it could be providential that two elections that will shape our future are both happening soon, within a week of each other. The election where cardinals will choose the new head of the Roman Catholic Church worldwide is scheduled to unfold in the Vatican tomorrow. Next week, we will hold midterm elections to choose our local leaders and legislators for the next three years, along with half of the members of the Philippine Senate, who will serve for six years. The first holds special interest for us not only because ours is a predominantly Catholic nation, but also because our own Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is widely mentioned as a papabile, or a strong contender for the papacy. On the other hand, the other election’s outcome will directly impact our lives through the decisions and actions of the winning leaders in the next three years (six for the senators). What happens in the next three years will in turn shape the nature and outcome of the 2028 presidential election as well.
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, one of our cardinal electors in the Vatican—and also mentioned as a papabile himself—shared on Facebook the oath that each elector will declare in Latin before casting his vote in the papal conclave. Translated into English, it says: “I call as my witness Christ the Lord, who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who, before God, I believe should be elected.” It tells us that each cardinal is expected to make his choice under deep prayer and discernment; hence, the eventual outcome of the vote is trusted to be truly God’s will. In his post, Cardinal Ambo (as he is fondly called by his flock) muses: “Imagine if every Catholic Filipino voter can say the same oath before casting his/her vote in the coming elections?” Some chimed in that they are inspired and will say the same prayer before voting, while another wrote: “I hope the priests can share this in their homily on the Sunday before election day.”
The sad reality is that too many Filipino voters do not seem to take their electoral responsibility with the same kind of solemn spiritual reflection that the cardinals voting for the next pope would. Surveys over the past months point to a foregone conclusion that our next 12 senators will be dominated by actors, show business personalities, people with questionable integrity and competence, and whose main claim to topping the list is the familiarity of their names. Meanwhile, at the local levels, political dynasties galore are poised to further widen and deepen their hold as they have done over many years, reflecting how dynastic families have turned politics into a family business to perpetuate wealth and power. And so, while the impending election in the Vatican may be viewed positively with much hope for a renewed and reinvigorated Catholic Church, many look to our midterm elections with helplessness and an uneasy feeling that our country is sinking deeper into a hole.
Can the outcome of the Vatican election possibly influence that of our own? While the papal conclave is by no means predictable and betting odds could prove way off, it’s not far-fetched to envisage our own Cardinal Tagle emerging as the conclave’s choice. If this indeed turns out to be God’s will, it’s reasonable to expect that outcome to unleash a surge of national pride among us Filipinos. Hopefully, with it would arise a wider and stronger sense of unity, along with a deeper resolve for national spiritual renewal, enough to lead voters and candidates to turn away from old bad habits. Perhaps it could also embolden more of our erstwhile timid Catholic clergy to preach more openly about voting for the right candidates and shunning the wrong ones. This could well be the scenario imagined by those who see God’s hand in the timing of the two elections happening within days of each other.
Things could of course turn out differently for the prior election, in which case it may hardly be of consequence to our election next week. Or it could even lead many to a sense of disappointment and despair, even fatalism about our country collapsing into a failed state run by a government of politicians, by politicians, and for politicians. Not a few would say it has already been that way for years. My former professor in college used to call it our “demon-crazy.” Perhaps it’s time to reexamine our democracy and explore if we could impose appropriate qualification requirements on those who would lead us, whether by appointment or election. Singapore’s new prime minister went through such a rigorous screening process; one could only wish that we could do the same with our leaders.
Still, hope springs eternal, and we cannot give up on our own country but work within our little circles to pursue meaningful and positive change in whatever way we can.
