Cardinals share reflections on Pope Leo XIV’s election, thank Pinoys for prayers

The three Filipino cardinals who took part in the most recent papal conclave recounted their moments with Pope Leo XIV.

During a press conference on Friday night, 9 May, Cardinals Luis Antonio Tagle, Pablo Virgilio David, and Jose Advincula discussed the election of Pope Francis' successor.

Tagle explained that when it comes to the criteria and approach of the Church, cardinals rely on the Holy Spirit for the selection through prayers.

"Disiplinado dapat aming lahat na hindi isipin o magpadala na 'kandidato ba ako?' Yung internal discipline ay kailangan (We must all be disciplined not to think 'am I a candidate?' Internal discipline is necessary)," Tagle said.

"Walang kandidato rito na parang ipo-promote ang sarili o ang kababayan mo. Kundi babalik ka doon sa babanggitin mo ang pagboto mo, haharap ako sa Diyos na huhusga sa amin (No candidate seemed to promote themselves, their countrymen. We always went back to our votes, to think that we will face God who will judge us)," he added.

On Friday, the Holy See Press Office announced that Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, will keep his post "provisionally."

Meanwhile, David said the selection became easier through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

"Hindi tao ang kumikilos, kung di Espiritu Santo mismo. Parang gumaang ang aming trabaho sa pagpili ng magiging pinuno ng Simbahan (It was not us who worked, but the Holy Spirit. It seemed like our jobs became easier in choosing the next pope)," David added.

He also urged the faithful to pray for the new pope, "Magpasalamat tayo sa Panginoon na nagbigay sa atin sa kanyang handog na Santo Papa (Let's thank the Lord who gave us his gift of the Pope) in the person of Pope Leo XIV."

Manila Archbishop Jose F. Cardinal Advincula, on the other hand, said he hopes Filipinos learn their lesson from the conclave in selecting their political leaders this coming midterm elections on Monday, 12 May.

"Sana yung ipakita rin natin dito sa paraan ng pagboto ng isang pinuno ng Catholic Church ang kakaibang paraan ng pagpili ng mga pinuno (I hope we could also show here the unique way in which leaders are chosen through the voting of a leader of the Catholic Church)," Advincula continued.

Cardinals' thanks

Advincula on Saturday also thanked Filipino faithful for their prayers during their participation in the conclave that led to the selection of Pope Leo XIV.

"On behalf of Cardinal Chito and Cardinal Ambo, I would like to thank you for your prayers as we participated in the conclave. It was an experience of a new Pentecost for the Church," he said.

"We felt the Holy Spirit truly moving as we took our oaths and cast our votes. I pray that all of us, Filipinos, would also treat our national and local elections as a sacred duty. May the judgment of God be our primary consideration and guide, not money or blind loyalties," he added.

Meanwhile, Advincula added that while being a Pope is a great honor, he stressed that it is "also a great responsibility that has been entrusted to him by the Lord."

That is why he likewise asked Filipino faithful to pray for Pope Leo XIV.

"He needs, more than anything else, our prayers for his pastoral ministry as the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church. Let us offer our supplications and sacrifices for our Holy Father not only during this time of the beginning of his Pontificate," the cardinal continued.

"More importantly, let us accompany him and support and support him throughout his Petrine ministry," he added.

Advincula said Pope Leo XIV "considers his election as a cross and as a mission, a burden and a blessing."

"He asks all of us to journey with him to fulfill a shared mission of evangelization. Let us not abandon Peter. Let us become a Church that listens to our shepherd as he serves his sheep."

Robert Francis Prevost, 69, has become the 267th pope. He is the first American to fill the role of leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

Born in Chicago in 1955 to parents of Spanish and Franco-Italian descent, Prevost served as an altar boy and was ordained in 1982.

Prevost spent many years as a missionary in Peru and has Peruvian nationality. He spent 10 years as a local parish pastor and as a teacher at a seminary in Trujillo in north-western Peru.