Former Bohol bishop Christian Vicente Fernandez Noel passes away at 80

Retired Talibon bishop Christian Vicente Fernandez Noel. INQUIRER VISAYAS

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — Retired Talibon bishop Christian Vicente Fernandez Noel passed away on Sunday morning due to complications from prostate cancer.

He was 80 years old.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma administered the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick on Noel, a native of Cebu, shortly before he died at the Perpetual Succor Hospital in Cebu City at 2:44 a.m. on Sunday, the feast day of the solemnity of Christ the King, said Fr. Japheth Geonzon, the liturgist of the Archdiocese of Cebu, who accompanied the archbishop at the hospital.

Noel was the first bishop of the Diocese of Talibon in Bohol, which he served for nearly 28 years.

Geonzon said Noel’s body will lie in state at the Tanchan Hall located inside the Archbishop’s Residence compound on D. Jakosalem St. in Cebu City from Nov. 26 to Nov. 29.

“There will be a public viewing and Masses to be offered by the Cebu clergy,” he told the Inquirer.

Noel’s body will be brought to the Talibon Cathedral in Bohol where he will be buried on Dec. 4.

“There were requests from the people of Talibon to bury him there. Archbishop Palma said Bishop Noel belongs to Talibon although he was born in Cebu,” Geonzon explained.

Noel, a native of Asturias town, northwest Cebu, was ordained priest on March 19, 1961.

He served as assistant parish priest of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Balamban town, Cebu from 1962 to 1964, and assistant parish priest of San Vicente Ferrer Parish, Bogo City from 1964 to 1966.

In 1966, he was named parish priest of San Vicente Ferrer Parish in Buanoy, Balamban, Cebu. After 10 years, he was reassigned to San Vicente Ferrer Parish in Bogo City where he served as parish priest for six years.

In 1981, Pope John Paul II appointed him as auxiliary bishop of Cagayan de Oro on Oct. 1, 1981.

He was subsequently ordained bishop on Nov. 30, 1981.

Five years later, he was named bishop of the Diocese of Talibon in Bohol–a position he held for nearly 28 years.

In 2014, he retired as bishop of Talibon after he reached the mandatory retirement age of 75. He was replaced by Bishop Daniel Patrick Parcon. /je