Church

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will elect a new set of leaders when it gathers Saturday for the three-day biannual plenary assembly.

Fr. Marvin Mejia, CBCP Secretary General, said the bishops will elect a president, vice president, 9 regional representatives and 29 commission and committee chairs.

Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao and Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, current president and vice president respectively, are both in their first terms in office.

Newly ordained and installed Bishop Cosme Damian Almedilla celebrated his first Mass in Butuan Tuesday announcing himself as both a father and servant in the diocese.

The around two-hour service at St. Joseph Cathedral was the first and among the celebrations to get Almedilla acquainted with his new flock.

More than 3,000 gathered at the cathedral to meet the man who will serve as the third bishop of the diocese in the southern region of Mindanao.

MANILA — A bishop on Saturday appealed to the faithful to refrain from using water to celebrate the feast of St. John the Baptist on Monday, June 24 as the country is experiencing a water supply shortage.

“It is very advisable and within a very good cause that we refrain from dousing/playing with water as celebrate the feast of St. John the Baptist,” Bataan Bishop Ruperto Santos said in a text message.

He instead urged the public to save water and use it only for their daily needs.

Pope Francis has tapped Fr. Jose Rapadas to lead the Diocese of Iligan in southern Philippines.

The bishop-elect is just 46, the youngest Filipino bishop serving in and outside the country today.

The appointment was announced in Rome at 12 noon (6:00 p.m. Manila time) on Thursday.

Rapadas will replace Bishop Elenito Galido who died on Dec. 5, 2017. Since then, Bishop Severo Caermare of Dipolog has been overseeing the diocese as apostolic administrator.

The Catholic Church will celebrate the Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) Sunday for the first time, giving more importance to its vision for “a new way of being Church”.

Archdioceses and dioceses across the country are expected to come up with activities on June 16, which also falls on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.

In preparation for the celebration, some dioceses have already held seminar workshops to prepare the parish leaders including the youth.

Bishop Leo M. Dalmao, who was ordained the fourth bishop of the Prelature of Isabela in Basilan yesterday, received strong words of encouragement from Archbishop of Ozamiz Martin Jumoad, his predecessor.

“People depend on you. Have courage and be strong,” Jumoad told the first Filipino Claretian to be ordained bishop, in a ceremony held at the Sta. Isabel de Portugal Cathedral in this city.

“Bp. Leo, trust your priests,” added the prelate, saying that the new bishop should love the priests of Basilan even if they commit mistakes.

A Catholic bishop has joined calls for greater press freedom in the country and deplored actions to suppress it.

Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos said the Church promotes freedom of the press as he stressed the importance of truth in journalism.

“Promoting the truth is promoting life. We join the call of respecting press freedom, respecting the truth and respecting human life,” Alminaza said in a statement to mark World Press Freedom Day.

The prelate also thanked the journalists who continue to fight for the truth “amidst the darkness”.

COTABATO CITY – The administrator of Jolo Vicariate today warned the public against a man claiming to be a priest and soliciting funds amount January 27 blast victims and for the rehabilitation of the bombed Our Lady of Mount Carmel cathedral.

“Please be informed that we have nothing to do with this person who is soliciting funds for the victims of Jolo Cathedral,” Monsignor Romeo Saniel of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI), administrator of Jolo vicariate, said in his Facebook post Tuesday.

NAGDIWANG kahapon ng kanyang ika-80 kaarawan si Cotabato Archbishop-emeritus Orlando Cardinal Quevedo.

Ito rin ang hudyat na hindi na maaari pang bomoto si Quevedo sa “papal conclave” na pumili ng susunod na pinuno ng buong simbahang katoliko.

Tanging si Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle na lamang ang natitirang kinatawan ng Pilipinas sa papal conclave.

Si Quevedo ang ikawalong Pinoy na naging kardinal sa kasaysayan ng simbahan at kauna-unahan na mula sa Mindanao.