Church

Pope Francis has appointed Filipino Archbishop Bernardito Auza on Tuesday the new Apostolic Nuncio to Spain and Andorra.

The papal envoy succeeds retired Italian Archbishop Renzo Fratini, who has been in the post since 2009.

Fratini turned 75 in July, the age at which canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation into the pope.

The appointment of Auza, who is fluent in Spanish language, was announced in Rome at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

ILOILO CITY - The country’s Catholic education body has elected Fr. Elmer Dizon of the Archdiocese of San Fernando as its new president.

Fr. Dizon, 59, was elected during this year’s national convention of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (ceap) held in Iloilo City from Sept. 25 to 27.

He succeeded Jesuit Fr. Joel Tabora, president of the Ateneo de Davao University, and who served the post for three years.

“I am certain Fr. Elmer will lead us forward well,” Fr. Tabora said.

VATICAN — The Vatican confirmed Friday that Pope Francis will travel to Thailand and Japan in November with stops scheduled in Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Pope Francis will visit Thailand Nov. 20-23 in commemoration of the 350th anniversary of the Vatican Mission to Siam in 1669. The pope will then travel Nov. 23-26 to Japan, where the theme of his visit is “Protect all life.”

Parents play a pivotal role in the discovery and promotion of religious vocations, the head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said.

Speaking at a diaconate ordination Sept. 2, Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao said that family is the first school of discipleship or the “seedbed of vocations”.

“God’s calling is easier to hear when it is made or heard in the context of a family that has faith,” Archbishop Valles said in his homily.

COTABATO CITY - Archbishop Angelito Lampon, OMI on Sunday led the launching of Archdicoerse of Cotabato vocation month during a mass at Immaculate Conception Cathedral. 

An activity promoting vocations followed at the NDSAC gymnasium.

A 47-year-old man of the cloth has become the first priest to be ordained bishop in Ipil diocese in southern Philippines.

Bishop Jose Rapadas was raised to the episcopacy in a ceremony at the town’s St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral on Tuesday.

Ipil is the youngest Catholic diocese in the country with around half-a-million Catholics.

It was the first episcopal ordination in Ipil since 2010 when it was erected into a diocese.

Tributes have been paid to a longtime environment advocate who dedicated many years of her life to the cause.

The Caritas Philippines extended its sincere condolences to the family of former environment secretary Gina Lopez, who succumbed to brain cancer on Monday morning. She was 65.

Social media users also flooded Facebook and Twitter with the news of Lopez’s death, who was strongly supported by many bishops and church groups for her strong anti-mining stand.

BATANES -- A Catholic bishop has asked everyone to join him in prayer for the suffering victims of the twin earthquakes that struck the islands in the northern Philippines on Saturday.

Bishop Danilo Ulep of Batanes sent his prayers and condolences to the people of the prelature, after eight people were killed and hundreds evacuated in the aftermath of the tremor.

All casualties were due to damaged houses in Itbayat island, dozens others were injured, properties were damaged, including the historic Itbayat Church.

The Jolo cathedral was reopened Tuesday, nearly six months after the twin bomb attacks that killed 20 people and scores injured.

Hundreds of people gathered for the reconsecration of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, which also marked the feast of their patroness, Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

The Mass was led by Archbishop Gabrielle Caccia, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, along with retired Cardinal Orlando Quevedo and several other bishops and priests.

The Church’s migrants ministry has backed the creation of a separate executive department to handle concerns of Filipino migrant workers.

The bishops’ Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People said that such move would address bottlenecks in delivery of services for overseas Filipino workers.

“With this, the welfare and wellbeing of our OFWs will be specifically attended,” said Bishop Ruperto Santos, ECMI chairman.