CBCP: Lucena Bishop Obviar inches closer to being saint

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

The Vatican has declared former Lucena Bishop Alredo Obviar as “venerable,” making him two notches away from sainthood, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) announced.

“The pope recognized that Obviar, the first bishop of Lucena, lived the Christian virtues in a heroic way,” the CBCP said in a report on Friday night.

“The pontiff would have to recognize a miracle attributed to the late bishop’s intercession in order for him to be beatified. A second miracle would be needed for canonization,” it added.

The CBCP said that the cause for sainthood of Obviar was introduced by the Diocese of Lucena.

The Congregation for the Causes of Saints granted the “Nihil Obstat” (nothing hinders) to the diocesan inquiry of his life in 2001.

In 2007, the decree of validity was issued, marking the start of its “Roman Phase.” In 2014, the “Positio” was submitted and the review of Theologians was concluded early last year.

A “Positio” is a collection of document used in the process before a religious person could be declared as “venerable”

Obviar was ordained as a priest back in 1919 and was named as the first Auxiliary Bishop of Lipa in 1944.

He was known to be the founder of the Missionary Catechists of St. Therese, a religious congregation of nuns with missions across the Philippines and other countries.

In 1969, Obviar was appointed as the bishop of Lucena, and served until his retired in 1976.

He later on died two years after at the age of 89. /jpv