MANILA -- Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David on Tuesday downplayed the circulating list on social media that supposedly showed the "top contenders" to succeed Pope Francis as the leader of the Catholic Church, saying this was "arbitrary." 

Asked about the "papabili" or those being talked as front-runners to become the next Pope, Cardinal David said nobody dreams of becoming the next Pope because of the huge task this entails. 

Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88, the Vatican said. His passing came almost a month after leaving hospital following five weeks battling double pneumonia.

READ: Pope Francis death from a stroke sets off global tributes, mourning

"Sino ang papabile is very arbitrary. Whoever said na si Bergoglio ay papabile – andaming mga hinulaan. Sabi nila ang mga kardinal na papasok sa conclave na nangangarap maging Papa, paglabas niya kardinal pa rin siya," said the cardinal. 

"Walang nangangarap na trabaho ito… Pino-project natin ang concept ng politics sa simbahan," he added. 

Pope Francis appointed three of the 10 Filipino cardinals in Church history, including David himself.

Meanwhile, another Filipino cardinal, Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, has been spoken of as a potential successor to the pontiff by multiple news outlets.

READ: Who might succeed Pope Francis?

But David explained that there are no "candidates" in a conclave.

"Wala pong kandidato sa conclave. There's no such thing as alam ninyong election. Walang mamimigay ng ayuda, walang maglalagay ng tarpaulin, walang mangangampanya," he said. 

"Magdadasal ang mga cardinal, and it is in the spirit of prayer na kailangan itanong namin, hindi ang gusto naming iboto kun'di ang gusto ng Panginoon na mag-succeed kay Pope Francis," he added.

In the end, Cardinal David said the cardinals and the public should let the Holy Spirit decide on who would be fit to become the next Pope during the conclave, which he described as a "retreat" for cardinals. 

"Malaki ang aming moral and spiritual obligation to enter into the conclave not in the spirit of politics but in the spirit of prayer," he said.

Cardinals of all ages are invited to the congregations, although only those under the age of 80 are eligible to vote for a new pope in the conclave.

The conclave should begin no less than 15 and no more than 20 days after the death of the pope.

A total of 126 cardinals worldwide, according to David, could be the next Pope.