Garcera to chair the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
The Plenary Assembly in Bohol elects the archbishop of Lipa to succeed Card David who has concluded his second term. The meeting is discussing how to continue the synodal journey in the Philippines. Noemi Saludo, a laywoman who contributed to the restoration of a hundred churches, is honoured.
Manila (AsiaNews) – Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa has been appointed the new chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
The election took place yesterday during the opening of the 130th CBCP plenary assembly in Bohol. Garcera will succeed Card Pablo Virgilio David, bishop of Kalookan, whose second term ends in November.
The president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines holds office for two years and his mandate is renewable only once.
Garcera, 66, was appointed bishop of Daet in 2007, and archbishop of Lipa in 2017. Lipa is located in Batangas province, about 90 kilometres south of Manila, the country's capital.
He has chaired the Episcopal Commission on Mission and served as its executive secretary as well as headed the Commission on Family and Life. He also served as CBCP assistant general secretary.
He was also national director of the Pontifical Mission Society (PMS), a global Catholic network that supports the Church’s missionary work through prayer, outreach, and financial assistance to mission dioceses around the world.
The CBCP also elected Archbishop Julius Tonel of Zamboanga as its new vice chairman, replacing Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara of Pasig. Tonel previously headed the Episcopal Committee on Bishops’ Concerns and was the chairman of the CBCP Commission on Liturgy.
Founded in 1945, the CBCP is the collegial body of the Philippine bishops. This is the first time, Bohol hosts a plenary assembly, which continues until tomorrow.
During the meeting, the leaders of the country’s Catholic Church are discussing the outcomes of the Synod on Synodality.
Members of the Synod team from different dioceses and sub-regions of the metropolitan provinces were invited to participate in a retreat before the assembly to discuss the drafting of guidelines to implement Church reforms and make it a truly “Synodal Church.”
The Synod on Synodality, called by Pope Francis, began in October 2021 and is intended to be a journey involving the laity and the Catholic Church to promote communion, participation, and mission towards a more inclusive Church. About 170 Synod delegates are participating in the event.
During the Assembly, Noemi Saludo received the Bishop Jorge Barlin Golden Cross Award, the highest honour of the Philippine Church, for her decades of service to the construction and restoration of churches across the country.
Saludo, now in her 90s and the founder and chairwoman of the Bahay ng Diyos Foundation Inc., was recognised for her dedication to the preservation and enhancement of churches and liturgical spaces, especially in the most disadvantaged communities.
Under her steady guidance, the foundation has contributed to the construction, restoration and rehabilitation of nearly a hundred places of worship throughout the country.
“Her work was never just a matter of stones or cement,” Cardinal David said. “It has always been rooted in faith, marked by a deep love for the Church and animated by her desire to serve Christ in His people.”
The prelate also praised her collaboration with bishops, clergy and pastoral workers, calling it an authentic example of “true synodality: walking together, building together, praying together.”
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