Cardinal Ambo David: “We must acknowledge where we have failed, looking ahead to 2033”

During a press conference held at the Great Pilgrimage of Hope on November 29, Pablo Virgilio S. Cardinal David, Bishop of Kalookan and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, responded to questions on the Church’s preparations for the 2033 Jubilee Year marking 2,000 years since the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The conference was coordinated by Daniel Roy, head of the Social Communications Office of the Diocese of Penang.

Speaking with characteristic candor and pastoral realism, Cardinal David emphasized that the Church’s engagement in Asia must be grounded not in triumphalism but in humility, listening, and a renewed commitment to the Gospel’s moral force.

Toward 2033

Asked how the Church can effectively share the Gospel across Asia as 2033 approaches, Cardinal David first acknowledged the need to confront the mistakes of the past.

“There is still a strong tendency for many Christian groups to be very triumphalistic,” he said. “And that does not really help at all.”

Drawing from the sacrament of Reconciliation, he outlined four essential movements, confession, remorse, reparation, and absolution, as a model for the Church’s own self-examination.

“In much the same way, we must acknowledge where we have failed,” he said, “because those failures have become blocks to the Church’s presence in many countries.”

This honest examination, he stressed, is not an obstacle but a precondition for authentic sharing of the Gospel. The Church’s engagement in Asia in the coming decade must be marked by humility, cultural respect, and genuine dialogue, principles the current Synod on Synodality has underscored repeatedly.

“Synodality is giving us the template,” he explained. “It is not just a method. It is a spirituality, a way of life. We must present the Gospel with deep respect for cultures, for religions, for human dignity.”

This attitude also mirrors Pope Francis’ longstanding insistence that Gospel sharing must not be coercive. “We no longer force the faith on anybody,” Cardinal David emphasized. “It’s witnessing.”

“Does the faith even have an impact at all?”

Cardinal David was also asked about the influence of the First Asian Mission Congress, whose narrative approach to evangelization has shaped the ongoing Pilgrimage of Hope.

He placed the question within a broader reflection on the Catholic faith’s ability to influence society, calling for stronger impact assessment, particularly in the digital age.

“One gauge is social media,” he said. “Are young people listening to us? Is the way we tell our story effective? Does it create an impact?”

He stressed that storytelling, in the spirit of Jesus himself, remains central. Not because stories avoid proclamation, but because they open space for dialogue, encounter, and transformation.

“In the interaction, the conversations, changes happen,” he said. “Changes of heart, changes of perspective. They are not forced; they are voluntary. That is conversion.”

But he noted that the Church often excels at planning and evaluation while neglecting the more difficult work of assessing real-world impact.

“People evaluate whether a plan was carried out. But it is rare to ask: Does the faith even have an impact at all?”

Using the Philippines as an example, he pointed with striking honesty to recent corruption scandals—such as the country’s massive flood-control controversy, as signs of a persistent disconnect between faith and social transformation.

“I am honestly not very proud to claim that we are a predominantly Catholic society,” he said. “There is so much corruption. It means we haven’t made that much impact.”

The role of the Church, he emphasized, must remain spiritual and moral, not partisan. But it must also be courageous.

“We are at the forefront of the discourse,” he said. “We must serve as facilitators of fruitful conversation. We must also admit where we have failed and ask how we can do a little better in proclaiming the Gospel.”

Rooted in Humility and Hope

Throughout his responses, Cardinal David returned to one recurring theme: Gospel sharing is credible only when rooted in humility, honesty, and the example of Jesus.

“Our template is really Jesus,” he said. “He moved people. He transformed lives. That is the work we must continue, humbly, respectfully, and together.”