Cardinal Pablo Virgilio “Ambo” David, Bishop of Kalookan and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, called for prayers for the country amid mounting public anger over corruption.

In his homily during his canonical installation at the Titular Church of the Transfiguration in Rome on October 19, 2025, Cardinal David said he left the Philippines “with a heavy heart,” noting that “when anger grows faster than justice, it can easily explode into violence.”

Comparing his situation to “Moses praying from afar,” he lifted prayers for Filipinos burdened not only by natural calamities but also by what he described as “the even worse calamity of corruption and malversation of public funds worth trillions.”

Centering on the theme of perseverance, Cardinal David underscored that faith is strengthened by community, rooted in the Word of God, and sustained by trust in the Father’s love. “When your strength begins to fade and your arms begin to droop,” he said, “remember Moses — and remember that God Himself stands beside you to keep your hands lifted, until the battle is won.”