Pope names new Manila archbishop

Cardinal Jose Advincula Jr. —PHOTO COURTESY OF ARCHDIOCESE OF CAPIZ

Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Jose Advincula Jr. as the new archbishop of Manila after the post was vacated for over a year.

The 68-year-old prelate was archbishop of Capiz before he was tapped to replace Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who left for Rome in February 2020 to take up the key Curia position of prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

The Pope made the public announcement in Rome on Thursday during a rite for the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord.

In November last year, the Pope named Advincula cardinal, making him the ninth Filipino to become a “prince of the Church” in a ceremony held at the St. Peter’s Basilica.

Advincula was born in Dumalag, Capiz, and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Capiz in 1976.

He was the spiritual director of the St. Pius X Seminary, where he was also professor and dean of education.

Canon lawyer

Advincula studied psychology at the De La Salle University in Manila and canon law at the University of Santo Tomas before obtaining a licentiate in canon law from the Angelicum in Rome.

He previously served in the seminaries of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia in Vigas, Ilocos Sur, and in the regional seminary of Jaro.

In 1995, he was appointed rector of the St. Pius X Seminary of Capiz and became the defender of the bond, promoter of justice, and finally judicial vicar of the archdiocese. He was appointed Bishop of San Carlos in 2001.

Ten years later, Pope Benedict XVI named him archbishop of his home province of Capiz.

As part of his elevation to cardinal last year, he was assigned the titular post of cardinal-priest of Parrochia San Vigilio in Rome. Last December, he was also appointed to the curial Congregation for the Clergy.