MANILA (LiCAS News): The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines elected Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa as its next president on July 5, the first day of the bishops’ 130th plenary assembly in Anda, Bohol.
Archbishop Garcera, 66, is currently on the CBCP Permanent Council as regional representative for Southeast Luzon. He will succeed Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David of Kalookan, who completes his second and final term as president at the end of November.
The archbishop will lead the CBCP for the next two years. Conference officials serve two-year terms and may be reelected once, for a maximum of four years.
Archbishop Garcera, who has headed the Archdiocese of Lipa since 2017 previously headed the CBCP Commission on Mission and Commission on Family and Life. Prior to becoming a bishop, he was assistant secretary general of the CBCP, executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Mission, and national director of the Pontifical Mission Society.
He was ordained priest for the Archdiocese of Caceres in 1983. In 2007, he was appointed bishop of Daet, where he served until he was transferred to Lipa.
Within the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, he was chairperson of the Office on Laity and Family and was director of its yearly Synodal Leadership for Asian Bishops Seminar.
In 2014, he was one of three Philippine bishops who were delegates to the Synod on the Family at the Vatican.
Archbishop Julius Tonel of Zamboanga, was also elected vice president of the CBCP. The 68-year-old will succeed Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara of Pasig. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Davao in 1980 and was appointed bishop of Ipil in 2007. In 2023, he became archbishop of Zamboanga.
He previously served as chairperson of the CBCP Commission on Liturgy and currently heads the CBCP Committee on Bishops’ Concerns.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
Archbishop Garcera, Archbishop Tonel and other members of the Permanent Council will officially assume their posts on December 1.
