MANILA, Sept. 28, 2013–Pope Francis has appointed Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Julito Cortes as the new bishop of Dumaguete.
The appointment was officially announced in Rome on Saturday at 12:00 noon (6:00pm Manila Time).
Cortes will become the fourth ordinary of the diocese, which has been without a bishop since last May 2012 following Archbishop John Du’s installation as head of the Archdiocese of Palo.
The bishop-elect is not new to his new assignment because he was parish priest for more than five years in Bacong, Negros Oriental, which is part of Dumaguete diocese.
He also served as the diocese’s vicar general for 11 years and later diocesan administrator until Du was installed bishop in July 2001.
Cortes was born in Paranaque in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1980.
After his episcopal ordination in 2002, he has served in a number of pastoral roles: member of the CBCP Commission on Culture and Commission on Liturgy.
At present, Cortes is the chairman of the CBCP Permanent Committee on Cultural Heritage of the Church since 2009.
As the new bishop of Dumaguete, he will be serving about 40 parishes with around one million Catholics. (CBCPNews)
