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Tuesday, May 19, 2026
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Filipino Cardinals Swear Oath Ahead of Papal Conclave
Cardinals Tagle, Advincula, and David participate in the ceremonial oath as they prepare for the election of a new pope.
MANILA, Philippines — In a significant moment ahead of the papal conclave, three Filipino cardinals have sworn an oath in preparation for the upcoming election of a new pope.
The solemn ceremony took place as the doors of the Sistine Chapel are set to be locked for the conclave.
The oath was taken by all 133 cardinal-electors following the recitation of the Litany of the Saints and the hymn 'Veni Creator Spiritus,' which invokes the Holy Spirit.
The cardinals took the oath in order of precedence, beginning with the most senior members and concluding with the most recently elevated cardinals.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle was the first to recite the oath.
He was made a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 and was later elevated to the rank of cardinal-bishop by Pope Francis in May 2020. Tagle serves as the pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization.
Following him was Manila Archbishop Jose Advincula, who became a cardinal in 2020 under Pope Francis.
The last of the Filipino cardinals to take the oath was Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, who was named a cardinal in 2024.
The oath recited by the cardinals affirmed their commitment and responsibility in the conclave.
The Latin text of the oath includes the promise of service, swearing on the Holy Gospels.
Voting is scheduled to commence on May 7, Rome time, with the cardinal-electors participating in the first round.
The election process will be marked by the visibility of smoke signals, with white smoke indicating that a new pope has been elected and black smoke signifying a failure to reach the necessary two-thirds majority needed for election.
Although there are 135 eligible cardinal-electors for this conclave, two—one from Spain and another from Kenya—will not attend due to health concerns.
The solemn ceremony took place as the doors of the Sistine Chapel are set to be locked for the conclave.
The oath was taken by all 133 cardinal-electors following the recitation of the Litany of the Saints and the hymn 'Veni Creator Spiritus,' which invokes the Holy Spirit.
The cardinals took the oath in order of precedence, beginning with the most senior members and concluding with the most recently elevated cardinals.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle was the first to recite the oath.
He was made a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 and was later elevated to the rank of cardinal-bishop by Pope Francis in May 2020. Tagle serves as the pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization.
Following him was Manila Archbishop Jose Advincula, who became a cardinal in 2020 under Pope Francis.
The last of the Filipino cardinals to take the oath was Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, who was named a cardinal in 2024.
The oath recited by the cardinals affirmed their commitment and responsibility in the conclave.
The Latin text of the oath includes the promise of service, swearing on the Holy Gospels.
Voting is scheduled to commence on May 7, Rome time, with the cardinal-electors participating in the first round.
The election process will be marked by the visibility of smoke signals, with white smoke indicating that a new pope has been elected and black smoke signifying a failure to reach the necessary two-thirds majority needed for election.
Although there are 135 eligible cardinal-electors for this conclave, two—one from Spain and another from Kenya—will not attend due to health concerns.
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