Philippines’ Cardinal David appointed to Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith

Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of the Philippines as a member of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith.

The appointment was made public on January 11 through a bulletin from the Holy See.

Cardinal David currently serves as Bishop of Kalookan, a city in the Philippines’ National Capital Region, as well as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Three other cardinals was appointed to the said dicastery alongside him, namely 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.

Cardinal David was recently elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis on December 8, together with 20 others. He is the 10th cardinal from the Philippines.

Aside from him, two other Filipino cardinals hold Vatican posts: Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle as Pro- Prefect for the Section of First Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization, and Cardinal Jose Advincula as member of the Dicastery for the Clergy and the Dicastery for Bishops.

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith deals with matters about the promotion and protection of the doctrine of faith and morals” and “encourages studies aimed at increasing the understanding and transmission of the faith in the service of evangelization.”

After major reforms under Pope Francis, the dicastery has been split into two sections: one dedicated to doctrinal matters and another to implement disciplinary actions on delicts or crimes within the Church.

It is currently being led by Argentine Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández.