David installed as new Kalookan bishop
Church • 05:12 AM Mon Jan 4, 2016
741
By:
Raymond A. Sebastián/CBCP News
Bishop Pablo Virgilio David (CBCP PHOTO)
CALOOCAN CITY– Bishop Pablo Virgilio David has been installed as the new leader of
the Catholic Diocese of Kaloolan.
He was installed as
the diocese’s second bishop during a special service at the Cathedral of San
Roque on Saturday, January 2.
In his homily to the
packed audience at the cathedral, the 56-year old prelate said he was humbled
at his appointment by Pope Francis.
My heart is
overflowing with gratitude to the Lord for entrusting this diocese to my humble
pastoral care and for giving me this new opportunity of expressing my love for
Him by serving His people,” he said.
The 12-year old
diocese has been without a bishop, sede vacante,” since January 2013 when
Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez resigned due to health reasons.
The former auxiliary
bishop of San Fernando archdiocese went on to thank other bishops, as well as
the priests, religious men and women of the diocese, and its over a million
Catholics.
I am here before you
as one who serves. You are God’s precious gifts to me as I start my ministry
here. God has indeed been so good. Let us therefore join our hearts and voices
in glorifying our gracious God,” he added.
Among the top Church
officials at the installation were Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop
Guiseppe Pinto, CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas, and Cardinals Luis
Antonio Cardinal Tagle of Manila and Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato.
San Fernando
Archbishop Florentino Lavarias and Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, retired Manila
archbishop, also graced the occasion.
He was ordained a
priest on March 12, 1983 at the age of 24. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him
Auxiliary Bishop of San Fernando and was ordained bishop in 2006.
Pope Francis
appointed him bishop of Kalookan on October 14, 2015.