CBCP President elected VP of Federation of Bishops in Asia

MANILA, Philippines — Kalookan Bishop and the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Pablo Virgilio David has been elected as the vice president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC).

According to a report by CBCP News, David was elected to the post during the bishops’ central committee meeting in Bangkok on Thursday. His term will begin in January 2025.

David will succeed Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo as vice president.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão from India was elected as the next FABC president, according to a Facebook post by Tokyo Archbishop Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi. 

David will continue to be the Bishop of Caloocan and CBCP President alongside his new post, according to CBCP research head Father Vladimir Echalas.

When asked about the importance of David’s appointment, the CBCP research chief said that the Philippine church would be immensely contributing to the assembly through the prelate. 

“Since this is the organization of all the bishops in Asia, the Philippines will be once again in the leadership focus,” Echalas said in a text message to Philstar.com.

The FABC is an association of episcopal conferences of the Catholic Church in South, Southeast, East and Central Asia. 

David, who is a staunch critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, was also elected to the communication body in the Vatican Synod in October 2023.