Pope Francis has named Msgr. Bartolome Santos Jr. as the new bishop of the Diocese of Iba, Zambales, which has been vacant for almost four years now.
According to CBCPNews, the official news service of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Santos, 50, would succeed Archbishop Florentino Labaras who was appointed head of the Archdiocese of San Fernando in Pampanga in 2014.
The bishop-elect is currently the vicar general and moderator of the curia of the Diocese of Malolos in Bulacan.
Since 2009, Santos has also been serving as rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Valenzuela City.
Santos was born in Sta. Maria, Bulacan, on Dec. 1, 1967. After his philosophy and theology studies at the University of Santo Tomas, he was ordained priest on Aug. 27, 1992.
He served as vicar of San Pascual Baylon Parish in Obando town from 1992 to 1994 and of San Isidro Labrador Parish in Pulilan from 1994 to 1995.
He also served as spiritual director and professor at the Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary of Malolos from 1995 until he left the country for further studies in Rome in 1996. —Tina G. Santos