Filipino Cardinal David: ‘We should not allow faith to sanctify destruction’

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, known for opposing Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, is now one of the leading Asian voices against the U.S.-Israel war on Iran.

Known by his nickname Ambo, the bishop of Kalookan recently wrote an open letter to Americans, warning them that the war constitutes a “moral failure.”

In this email interview with Crux Now, the cardinal in the Philippines draws on his expertise as a biblical scholar, addressing the “dangerous” use of Scripture to justify war.

He also reflects on why many Catholics — including Filipino migrants in the United States — have embraced a Christianity “entangled with politics, ideology, and cultural tribalism” instead of the “radical moral vision” of Jesus.

“We should not allow faith to sanctify destruction,” David said.

David, 67, is the vice president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences and a member of the powerful Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The Jesuit-trained cardinal is also one of Asia’s leading Bible scholars, holding a doctorate in sacred theology from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium.

Crux Now: Outside the United States, you are one of the cardinals who are most vocal about the war on