His Excellency
MOST REV. GAUDENCIO B. ROSALES, D.D.
31st Archbishop of Manila

Most Rev. Gaudencio B. Rosales, D.D. was installed the 31st archbishop of the Archdiocese of Manila in solemn liturgical and canonical rites at the Manila Cathedral on November 21, at 9 a.m.

This is the first time in almost 30 years that such a ceremony was held in the archdiocese. Jaime L. Cardinal Sin was installed the 30th archbishop of Manila on March 1974.

Archbishop Rosales, 71, goes to Manila from the Archdiocese of Lipa where he served for the past ten years. (Please see bio-data).

The solemn rites featured the liturgical reception and the canonical installation. A civic reception was held outside the cathedral at 8:30 a.m. before the start of the religious ceremonies. This includes simple rites where the Archbishop was welcomed by civil authorities. He was first welcomed by Metro Manila officials led by Mayor Lito Atienza. This was followed by a welcome by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at the steps of the cathedral.

A highlight of the liturgical rites is when the new archbishop is seated at the “cathedra.” With the reform of the liturgy in Vatican II, the “cathedra” of the bishop has come to signify his seat of leadership, no longer a throne. The “cathedra” is a sign of his teaching office and pastoral power in the particular Church. “The “cathedra” should be a chair that stands alone and is permanently installed. Its placement should make it clear that the bishop is presiding over the whole community of the faithful.”

All sectors of the Archdiocese of Manila are busy with the preparations for the event. The civic reception was organized by the teachers and students of the member schools of MAPSA (the Manila Archdiocesan and Parochial Schools Association) and the catechists of the archdiocese.
Parishioners of different parishes assisted in the liturgy while the Council of the Laity of Manila participated in the liturgy.

More than 600 priest and bishops attended the celebration. More than a third of the priests were from the Archdiocese of Manila. There were priests from the Archdiocese of Lipa and the Diocese of Malaybalay, where Archbishop Rosales previously served.