Philippines: Calapan's New Bishop to install, priest hopes for 'Church ever more responsive to the signs of the times'

As the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan (AVC) has prepared for the installation of their new bishop, Moises Magpantay Cuevas, on September 6, Father Edwin Gariguez, director of the vicariate's diocesan service commission, hoped his leadership would respond to the sign of the times—reaching out to the peripheries and church of the poor.

"We hope that with his pastoral leadership, we can continue the synodal journey of making the Church ever more responsive to the signs of the times, in our committed ministry for integral evangelization, and in reaching out to the peripheries, in becoming truly a Church of the Poor," said Father Edwin Gariguez, in an earlier post on his social media.

Gariguez served as executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines National Secretariat for Social Action (CBCP-NASSA) or Caritas Philippines for 10 years, resigned in 2020, and returned to the AVC, where he is a member. 

He added that "His pastoral experience in the Archdiocese of Zamboanga will certainly be a source of inspiration for us in the Vicariate, especially the dynamism of the Church in the face of social challenges and grassroots evangelization through BECs (basic ecclesial communities) in Mindanao." 

The ecological challenge in Mindanao, especially regarding large-scale mining, is an equally important concern on Mindoro Island. We hope our new Bishop will also be an advocate of ecological conversion for our local Church," said Gariguez.

The installation news is also announced during masses, with the new bishop’s image projected on the screen. He is the youngest Catholic prelate in the country at age 49.

"The mission territory will be installing its fourth bishop in a ceremony to be presided over by papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown," said the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) News. 

On June 29, Pope Francis appointed Cuevas as the new shepherd of Calapan, which covers Oriental Mindoro province and has 40 parishes and mission stations that serve the indigenous Mangyan communities.

Cuevas, the auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga, succeeds 79-year-old Bishop Warlito Cajandig, who held the post from 1989 until 2022, or 33 years.  Cajandig is well remembered for his simplicity, which Cuevas shares.

In November 2022, the Vatican announced that the pope had "liberated" Cajandig from his office for health reasons.

When Cajandig suffered a stroke in 2018 and underwent brain surgery, the pope appointed Father Nestor Adalia as apostolic administrator of the AVC.

"At 49, Cuevas remains the youngest Catholic prelate in the country," said CBCP News.

Born in Batangas City, he was ordained a priest for the Zamboanga Archdiocese in 2000. The pope appointed him as its auxiliary bishop in March 2020.

In August 2021, Cuevas was appointed apostolic administrator "sede plena" of the archdiocese, said CBCP.

Cuevas is also currently serving as the apostolic administrator of the archdiocese while awaiting the installation of its new archbishop, Julius Tonel of Ipil, as the new Zamboanga archbishop on August 22.

In a radio interview on DZSB 104.1 Spirit FM on July 21, Father John Dave Francis Pineda, director of the Diocesan Youth Commission of the AVC, said they welcome the new bishop after a long wait.

Asked how he feels about the new bishop, he answered with mixed emotions. "Excited to share the collective vision of the Commission on Youth... to be with him in building the present and future church of the AVC," he said.

In addition, he expressed some apprehension regarding potential changes to the programs, as the new bishop may have his own vision, goals, and perspectives for the youth.

But Pineda said the youth are "very positive that he (the new bishop) will be able to resonate with the dynamism of the youth." - Madonna T.  Virola