Palma to focus on Eucharistic Congress

The International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) scheduled in Cebu three years from now was one of the reasons why Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma declined the presidency of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

While still eligible for a second term for the position as president, Palma said he told the plenum to elect somebody else since he wanted to give more attention to the Cebu Archdiocese.

In his stead, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas was elected the new CBCP president.

Villegas, 52, was succeeded as CBCP vice-president by Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles.

CBCP officials have a two-year tenure in office, or four to include the second term.

If tradition is to be followed, incumbent officials are reelected for their second and last term.

Palma said officials from the Vatican will visit Cebu this September to inspect the venue for the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC).

Palma was elected in 2011 as he succeeded Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar, who also served for two years.

Villegas will lead the 96 active and 40 honorary members of the bishop’s collegial body.

Based on the CBCP website, Archbishop Villegas was ordained priest by the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin in 1995.

He was appointed as the Auxiliary Bishop of Manila last 2001 and in 2004 he was appointed bishop of Balanga diocese before he was named as the Archbishop of Lingayen – Dagupan.

Newly elected CBCP vice-president  Archbishop Valles, 61, was ordained a priest in 1976 before he was appointed as the fourth archbishop of Kidapawan in 1997.

In 2006, he became the archbishop of Zamboanga until 2012 when he was transferred to the Archdiocese of Davao.

Archbishop John Du of Palo was re-elected as the treasurer.

Fr. Marvin Mejia, the present coordinator of Archdiocesan Pastoral Planning Board of the Archdiocese of Cebu was elected as the  Secretary – General of the CBCP, succeeding  Msgr. Joselito de Asis who will return to the Archdiocese of Daet.

There were 86 bishops gathered since Saturday for the three-day plenary assembly of the bishops that was held at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Paco, Manila.

The event was the 107th plenary assembly which also included the biennial CBCP elections. Correspondent Michelle Joy L. Padayhag