Bishop
Socrates Villegas Appointed to Balanga Diocese
 Auxiliary
Bishop of Manila, Most Rev. Socrates B. Villegas, has been named
by Pope John Paul II to be the new bishop of the Diocese of Balanga
(Bataan). The announcement was made in the Vatican on May 3,
2004 at 12 noon (6 p.m. Philippine time). The
news was released by Archbishop Antonio Franco, Apostolic Nuncio
to the Philippines.
Archbishop Gaudencio B. Rosales made the formal
announcement at 6 p.m. on May 3 at the Villa Immaculada to the
members of the Consultores of the Archdiocese of Manila, and
to Bishop Villegas’ mother, Norma, his co-workers, Edsa
Shrine Community and friends.
In
his remarks Archbishop Rosales congratulated Bishop Villegas’ new
appointment, which, he described as a way of God bringing about
growth and changes.
“Every
change is full of doubts and hesitation, but we are doing this
for God and God will make sure that you will mature. God will
entrust to you great responsibilities if you generously respond,” he
said.
He
also assured the young bishop of the full support of the archdiocese
in his new role. “We will be behind you. Don’t be
afraid. This is the only way to grow. Be faithful to what God
has given you,” the archbishop said.
Bishop
Villegas admitted to being “afraid” of the new task
ahead of him. But he sees his going to Bataan as a mission. He
said that when the Papal Nuncio told him about his appointment
he wrestled with God in prayer, bringing up to him three questions
that haunted him: “Who will take care of the Cardinal (Sin)?”; “Who
will take care of my mother?”; “Who will take care
of the Edsa Shrine?”
The answers to these
questions, he said, came to him in prayer. “The answer
is God. God will take care of them.”
Bishop Villegas said
that in accepting the new challenge, “I open myself to
the graces of God and allow Him to work through me. God will
do the work for me in Balanga. It will not be my work, but God’s
work.”
A native of Pateros,
Rizal, Bishop Villegas, 43, was born on September 28, 1960. He
completed his studies and seminary formation at the San Carlos
Seminary of the Archdiocese of Manila. He was ordained priest
on October 5, 1985 and was ordained bishop on August 31, 2001.
He served as secretary of Jaime Cardinal Sin since his ordination,
18 years ago. He has been Rector of the Mary, Queen of Peace,
Our Lady of Edsa Shrine since its establishment in December 1989.
He was official spokesman of the Archdiocese of Manila until
Cardinal Sin’s retirement in September.
Bishop Villegas is
a popular and widely regarded preacher and speaker. He has written
seven books of his homilies at the Edsa Shrine and talks in retreats
and other events. He is also the chairman of the Episcopal Commission
on Catechesis and Catholic Education of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference
of the Philippines.
He will be the third
bishop of Balanga, following Bishop Honesto F. Ongtioco, 55,
who is now the Bishop of the newly created Diocese of Cubao
(Quezon City).
Before the partition
of the Archdiocese of Manila with the creation of five new dioceses
in 2003—Cubao, Kaloookan, Pasig, Parañaque, and
Novaliches—it had six auxiliary bishops. The appointment
of Bishop Villegas to Balanga leaves the Archdiocese of Manila
with no auxiliary bishops.
No date has been
set for the installation of Bishop Villegas in Balanga but
it is expected to be in July 2004.
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