Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David Speaks at Vatican Meeting on Family

Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan urged the Church to provide community support rather than judgment for families facing poverty, violence, and addiction. Speaking at a Vatican meeting on October 12, 2026, David told participants that fragile families need a community to help carry burdens they cannot manage alone.

The meeting, convened by Pope Leo XIV at Paul VI Hall, addressed the theme of accompanying families in complex situations ten years after the publication of Amoris Laetitia. David noted that factors such as migration, insecure work, and addiction can make it difficult for families to meet Christian ideals. He shared an example of a priest who questioned why children were on the streets late at night, only to discover the parents were working long hours to provide food.

Drawing from his experience in the densely populated areas of Manila, David highlighted the impact of the Philippine drug war on local families. He described how killings left widows, orphans, and grandparents struggling to rebuild their lives, noting that some families feared mourning publicly due to the suspicion surrounding suspected drug users. He argued that the Church must listen to and understand these specific hardships instead of applying standard categories or rushing to judge.