By Leslie Ann Aquino Aside from a new Manila Archbishop, there is a possibility the country would have a new cardinal as well. Novaliches Bishop-Emeritus Teodoro Bacani Jr. (VERITAS/ MANILA BULLETIN) Retired Novaliches Bishop Teodoro Bacani is not discounting this possibility, saying the Manila Archbishop was usually elevated to the cardinalate. In the past, retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said: "We have this practice in the Church that the successor of a cardinal in an archdiocese also becomes a cardinal in due time." But Bacani said "this will have to wait until there is a consistory to name new cardinals." Held in the Vatican, the consistory is a formal meeting of the Sacred College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church. Since the Pope creates new cardinals in the presence of the college, the consistory is where this takes place. To note, Pope Francis has yet to name the successor of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle. Tagle was named Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in the Vatican last December. Even Henrietta de Villa, the country's former ambassador to the Vatican, is also not discounting the possibility of the country having a new cardinal but stressed this will all depend on the pontiff. "While whoever is Manila archbishop eventually becomes a cardinal, still the prerogative of naming cardinals belongs solely to the Pope. We pray, we hope," she said. The Philippines currently has three living cardinals namely; Cardinals Tagle, Orlando Quevedo, Gaudencio Rosales. Except for Tagle, the two are already retired. Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo earlier asked the faithful to pray for Pope Francis as he makes the most difficult task of choosing Tagle's successor. "Pray for the Holy Father. The final responsibility rests on him, and to think that there are more than five thousand positions in the Church all over the world to be considered," he said in a statement. "This is no easy task, so we all need to pray for the Holy Father in this service that he does for the Church," he added. Among those said to likely succeed Tagle in Manila are Kalookan Bishop Pablo David, Lingayen Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Imus Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista and Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera. Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo said all are candidates most especially those around Metro Manila since they know the place, the priests, and the situation. But, he said the pontiff may also surprise everyone and appoint somebody outside Manila like what happened when Pope Paul VI appointed the late Jaime Cardinal Sin to Manila. According to De Villa said it is when Cardinal Chito assumes his new Vatican post, that the process of selecting a new Archbishop of Manila goes "full blast." His Eminence is expected to assume his post in the Vatican this month.