Filipino Cardinal “Ambo” David on hearing God's voice in the Bible

The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin, S.J.

America Media

Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.9 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 5 May 2026

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of The Spiritual Life with Fr. James Martin, S.J., Fr. Martin speaks with Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, Bishop of Kalookan, Philippines. Elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2024 by Pope Francis, the ministry of Cardinal “Ambo” has been marked by a deep solidarity with those on the margins, with whom he’s established 21 urban mission stations in poor communities affected by violence. With a doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Catholic University of Louvain, Cardinal Ambo shares his Ignatian approach of “reading between the lines of scripture,” without forgetting the very important “dots” we connect through biblical scholarship. Timecodes: 0:00 Prayer is necessary to survive 2:50 What’s an Ignatian approach towards scripture? 5:19 How Cardinal Ambo received his nickname and why he prefers it to “Your Eminence” 7:28 Cardinal Ambo’s early calling to the priesthood 14:05 Biblical scholarship establishes the dots, Ignatian Contemplation helps connect them 21:30 How studying Aramaic allows Cardinal Ambo to better understand Jesus 24:50 The urban mission stations that bring hope to the poor 30:40 What characterizes Filipino-Catholic spirituality? 32:30 Audience Question: How does Jesus’ resurrection change reality? Read Fr. Jim's article on Ignatian contemplation Do you have a spiritual question for Fr. Jim? You can write to us at: thespirituallife@americamedia.org Become a subscriber today at Americamagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Santa Clara University's new Cunningham Showquist Center for Applied AI and Human Potential
0:05.7	asks a simple question. How can we develop real-world AI applications that put people first? The answers
0:12.4	could make a world of difference. To learn more, visit scuh.edu-a-i-center.
0:34.0	There was some point when the Jesuits made me realize that I had to pray if I needed to survive the many trials that I had to face in my life.
0:36.7	So I am like that now.
0:41.9	I pray not because I'm required to pray, but because I have to survive the ministry. I call prayer my survival mechanism. I wouldn't do without it.
0:51.6	Welcome to the spiritual life. I'm Father Jim Martin. On this podcast, we reflect on how people
0:56.8	experience God in their prayer and in their daily lives. And I'm joined by my sleepy producer,
1:03.2	Maggie Van Dorn. Maggie, good to be with you. Why are we a little sleepy tonight?
1:06.9	We're sleepy because we're recording this episode at night. If you're watching on video on YouTube, you might be able to see the difference.
1:14.1	But that's because we have a guest today from the Philippines.
1:19.3	So he's recording in the morning 12 hours ahead and we're recording at night.
1:24.0	And that guest is our friend Cardinal Ambo. Can you tell us about Cardinal Ambo? Yeah Our friend Cardinal Ambo.
1:27.8	Can you tell us about Cardinal Ambo?
1:29.6	Yes, so Cardinal Ambo from the Philippines,
1:32.1	that's 12 hours ahead of us.
1:34.6	So his official name is Pablo Verhiliio Cardinal David.
1:40.6	He does go by Cardinal Ambo for short.
1:42.9	And Jim and Cardinal Ambo have a very fun conversation about that.
1:48.2	He is the bishop of Calo O'Con in the Philippines and was the president of the Catholic
1:53.1	Bishop's Conference of the Philippines from 2021 to 2025.
1:57.6	He was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2024 by Pope Francis. And in Kalo Okan, he established
	...

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