Cardinal David among Roman Curia’s newest members
Just a month after receiving his red hat from Pope Francis, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David has received his first major assignment to the Roman Curia: becoming one of the Vatican’s newest doctrinal body members.
In a bulletin on Saturday, the Holy See named David, bishop of Kalookan, a member of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, along with three fellow cardinals: Jaime Spengler, archbishop of Porto Alegre, Brazil; Ignace Bessi Dogbo, archbishop of Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire; and Roberto Repole, archbishop of Turin and bishop of Susa, Italy.
They will work under the leadership of Argentine Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, who has led the dicastery since September 2023.
The Kalookan diocese also confirmed the appointment of the 65-year-old David in a post on its Facebook page on Sunday.
“Let us continue to pray for Cardinal Ambo as he takes on this new important role in the universal Church,” it said.
The dicastery, which underwent significant reforms under Pope Francis, now operates with two sections: one focusing on doctrinal matters and the other on disciplinary issues, each with a dedicated secretary.
The doctrinal section promotes and safeguards faith and morals, handles marriage annulments, and addresses the Church’s evangelization efforts amid scientific advancements and societal changes.
It also reviews documents produced by other Vatican departments concerning “faith and customs,” engaging in dialogue with authors to resolve concerns.
Meanwhile, its disciplinary section deals with delicts, or crimes, including clerical sexual abuse cases.
Joins Tagle, Balagapo
David joins other Filipinos in the Roman Curia: Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who serves as the proprefect for the Section of Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization since 2022 and president of the Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious since 2019; and Msgr. Erwin Jose Balagapo, who was appointed as undersecretary of the Section of Evangelization.
Assisting the Pope
According to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), David was among the 19 of 21 new cardinals assigned roles within key Vatican institutions.
While keeping their main pastoral duties, the cardinals’ new responsibilities allow them to bring their experience and perspectives to the central church offices that assist the Pope in decision-making.
David has been the bishop of Kalookan since 2016 and is currently the president of the CBCP.
He was formally elevated to the College of Cardinals, along with 20 others, during a consistory at the Vatican on Dec. 7, 2024.
In October, he was elected to a 17-member council tasked with implementing the synodality process and preparing for the next assembly of bishops around the world.
