Who are the 3 Pinoy cardinal electors in Papal conclave?

POPE Francis, whom Filipino Catholics fondly called “Lolo Kiko,” is dead, ending his 12-year papacy.

The 88-year-old pontiff suffered from a stroke that prompted coma and “irreversible” cardiovascular collapse, according to his death certificate published on the Holy See Press Office’s website.

Pope Francis’ death signals the beginning of “sede vacante,” or a period when the papacy is vacant. The late pope’s account on X (formerly Twitter) now displays the name “Apostolica Sedes Vacans,” and will remain so until a new pontiff is named. 

This leads to the question: Who will succeed Pope Francis as the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church? While some already have a candidate in mind, it is up to the College of Cardinals to select Pope Francis’ successor through the Papal conclave.

The Papal conclave is a millennia-old tradition that happens when a pope resigns or dies. This is when the College of Cardinals convenes to choose the next pontiff.

There are 138 out of 252 cardinals who are eligible to participate in the conclave, and three of them are Filipinos. Here are the three Filipinos appointed by Pope Francis to the Sacred College of Cardinals:

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is among the frontrunners to succeed Pope Francis. But more than being Asia’s leading papal candidate, the participation of the 67-year-old cardinal from the Philippines is vital in the new pope’s selection.

Known for his progressive views, Tagle criticized those who use “harsh words” against members of the LGTBQIA+ community, divorced and separated individuals, and single mothers, which led to their “isolation from the wider society.”

Tagle, who previously served as the Archbishop of Manila, is the seventh Filipino to be elevated to the rank of cardinal. He is the current pro-prefect of the Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches of The Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization.

In an interview with GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita, Fr. Francis Lucas, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) director for broadcast, said Tagle has a chance to be the first Asian pontiff but the Holy Spirit will be the one to decide.

Cardinal Jose Advincula

Cardinal Jose Advincula is the 33rd Archbishop of Manila, succeeding Tagle in 2021. Before this, he served as the Archbishop of Capiz.

The 73-year-old cardinal was appointed by Pope Francis as one of the members of the Dicastery of Bishops in 2022, along with two religious sisters and one consecrated virgin.

In May 2024, Advincula considered the passage of the Absolute Divorce Bill in the House of Representatives as a “challenge” to the Catholic Church, especially in ministering to couples in difficult situations. Should divorce be legalized in the country, Advincula said in a radio interview that it would not apply to sacramental marriages, stressing that divorce is “not the ultimate solution to problematic unions.”

Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David

Last in this list of Filipino cardinals eligible to vote for the next pope is Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, the current CBCP president.

David is a known critic of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.

It can be recalled that the 66-year-old cardinal was among those who were slapped with sedition and other complaints, in connection with the release of the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos in 2019, which linked the Duterte family members to illegal drugs. However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) cleared David of the sedition charges in 2020.

David is expected to leave for Rome this week.