The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has called on Filipino Catholics to refrain from publicly endorsing Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle as a possible successor to the late Pope Francis, who passed away Monday at the age of 88 following health complications.
In a statement shared through the Archdiocese of Manila, CBCP Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs Executive Secretary Rev. Fr. Jerome Secillano emphasized that the selection of the next pope must be left solely to the cardinal electors.
“We leave it to the cardinal electors to decide who will succeed Pope Francis,” Secillano said. “It’s not prudent for the public to promote Cardinal Tagle as the next Pope, as this could create the impression that the conclave might be swayed by external influences if Cardinal Tagle is elected as the next pontiff.”
Following Pope Francis’ death, speculation over potential successors has spread across social media, with Cardinal Tagle’s name appearing in informal shortlists. But Church officials warned against treating the papal election like a political contest.
“There’s no such thing as alam ninyong election. Walang mamimigay ng ayuda, walang maglalagay ng tarpaulin, walang mangangampanya,” said Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, president of the CBCP. “Wala pong kandidato sa conclave.”
Cardinal David clarified that the selection process is deeply spiritual. “Magdadasal ang mga cardinal, and it is in the spirit of prayer na kailangan itanong namin, hindi ang gusto naming iboto kun’di ang gusto ng Panginoon na mag-succeed kay Pope Francis,” he added.
Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in the conclave. Among the 135 voting cardinals are three from the Philippines: Cardinal Tagle, Cardinal David, and Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula.
Secillano urged the public to support the process in prayer rather than influence: “The independence of the electors must be respected, and the least we can do is pray for Cardinal Tagle and the other cardinal electors.”
