Church

MANILA - Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz has died while undergoing medication at Cardinal Santos Hospital Wednesday morning.  He was 85.

Archbishop Cruz also served as president of the influential Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and later as archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese.

The CBCP said Archbishop Cruz breathed his last at 6:45 a.m. 

MANILA - Standing on the sidelines out of apathy or disaffection amid the problems besetting the country is an unacceptable option, a Catholic bishop said.

Bishop Patricio Buzon of Bacolod urged the diocese’s clergy and the religious to “do their share” in keeping society safe and “our democracy vibrant”.

“Being apathetic and silent in these trying times is not an option,” Bishop Buzon said in a circular letter dated July 22.

The prelate has earlier appealed for “prayerful vigilance” against attempts to violate human rights and the freedom of expression.

MANILA - The Catholic Church’s social action arm has appointed Fr. Antonio Labiao Jr., of the Diocese of Novaliches as its new executive secretary.

Labiao, 66, will replace Fr. Edwin Gariguez of the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan, who resigned from the National Secretariat for Social Action (Nassa) effective July 31.

“I personally would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for all the support, solidarity and collaboration that you extended to NASSA Caritas Philippines through the years during my term,” Fr. Gariguez said.

COTABATO CITY  – Three years after miraculously surviving the Marawi siege, Catholic priest Teresito “Chito” Suganob died of cardiac arrest today, Wednesday, Bishop Edwin dela Peña of Marawi Prelature announced this morning.

“It is with great sadness that we make this announcement in behalf of the prelature of Marawi,” Bishop dela Peña said in his social media account.

“Our dearly beloved Fr. Teresito Suganob died of cardiac arrest this morning, July 22, 2020 in his home in Norala, South Cotabato,” Bishop dela Peña said.

MANILA - A ciborium with consecrated hosts was found intact amid the rubble from the fire in the Sto. Niño Church in Manila’s Pandacan district, its parish priest said Sunday.

Fr. Sanny de Claro said the ciborium was only among the few things recovered from the tragedy and brought to safety.

He said the rescue of the ciborium took place on Friday after the fire when some church workers tried searching for the four-century old image of the child Jesus.

Catholic bishops have criticized the lawmakers’ decision to reject the license renewal of the country’s largest broadcast network that had come under fire from President Rodrigo Duterte.

Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga warned that “no one wins” in the shutdown of ABS-CBN — a major source of information and entertainment for Filipinos in and outside the country.

“A great loss to all of us Filipinos. No one wins. It’s just an added suffering to all of us. No one can rejoice,” Bishop Santos said.

VATICAN — Pope Francis has made a donation to the World Food Programme as the organization works to feed 270 million people this year amid rising hunger caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Coronavirus infection levels have been rising in Latin America and Africa at a moment when food stocks in some parts of the world are already low, leaving more people vulnerable to food insecurity, according to the World Food Programme website.

COTABATO CITY - Social distancing has been strictly observed during today's mass at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral. 

The Archdiocese of Zamboanga’s new auxiliary bishop will be welcomed to his new ministry at a special ceremony.

Bishop-elect Moises Cuevas will be consecrated at the city’s Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception at 9:00 a.m. on August 24.

The ordination will be led by Archbishop Romulo de la Cruz of Zamboanga with Archbishop Martin Jumoad of Ozamiz and Bishop Julius Tonel of Ipil as co-consecrators.

At 46, Cuevas is the youngest prelate in the Philippines and the fourth auxiliary bishop of the southern Philippine archdiocese.

COTABATO CITY - The Archdiocese of Cotabato and the dioceses of Kidapawan and Marbel have resumed public masses at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Cotabato City today, June 7, 2020. 

Below are the infographics of mass schedules and protocols at the St. Anthony parish (Koronadal Cathedral) and Our Lady of Mediatrix of All Grace cathedral in Kidapawan City.