The Diocese of Bacolod is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Negros Occidental, Philippines. A suffragan of the Archdiocese of Jaro,[6] its jurisdiction covers most of the northwestern towns and cities of the province of Negros Occidental namely, as far as Victorias City in the north and the Municipality of Hinigaran in the south.[7]
The Diocese of Bacolod was created by Pope Pius XI on July 15, 1932, through the apostolic constitutionAd Christi regnum, separating it from the territories of the Diocese of Cebu (Siquijor Island) and the Diocese of Jaro (Negros Island).[9] The diocese was created in response to the growing population of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, a majority of which are located in the island of Negros.[10]Guglielmo Piani, Papal Legate to the Philippines, issued the decree of execution on May 4, 1933, and the decree of erection on May 16. Bishop James Paul McCloskey of Jaro was appointed Apostolic Administrator while the diocese waits for its bishop.[11]
Rev. Fr. Casimiro Lladoc of the Diocese of Nueva Caceres was appointed bishop of the diocese on June 23, 1933. He arrived in Bacolod on October 24 of the same year after his episcopal consecration on September 16.[12][13][14] He invited more religious congregations to the diocese, established Catholic schools, led the construction and renovation of churches, including the remodelling of the San Sebastian Cathedral in 1936, and strengthened lay Catholic formation through a massive catechism drive. During his tenure, the Sacred Heart Seminary in Bacolod was established on June 15, 1946. Due to his efforts, the population of the Aglipayan church in Negros was reduced significantly.[15]
Lladoc died on September 22, 1951. Bishop Manuel Yap of the Diocese of Capiz was appointed as his successor on March 16, 1952. The bishop strengthened the diocesan seminary and the catechetical institution initiated by his predecessor. He also supported the establishment of the lay movement Barangay Sang Virgen on October 16, 1955, which now has spread nationwide, and the Chinese Catholic Association with the help of Fr. John Liu. On April 5, 1955, the Diocese of Bacolod lost territory when the Diocese of Dumaguete (which covers the entire province of Negros Oriental) was erected. The San Sebastian Cathedral was renovated and consecrated in the presence of the Papal Nuncio Salvatore Siino on March 6, 1960. He also addressed internal issues in the diocese by convoking a Diocesan Synod on March 14–18, 1960.[10]
Mons. Antonio Fortich, vicar general of the diocese, succeeded Yap after his death on October 16, 1966. In his tenure, he allowed the reforms of the Second Vatican Council in his diocese, which was limited by his conservative predecessor. This includes the new form of the Mass translated in Hiligaynon.[10] Living up to the mandate of Pope Paul VI to him to “do something for the poor of Negros”, he convoked a Pastoral Congress in 1968, and with unanimous support from the clergy, he spoke out against the social and political abuses and injustices happening during this time in Negros in a pastoral letter.[16] He tirelessly reached out to the poor and the oppressed and tried to breach the gap of social division. He established the Social Action Center which up to this day tends to the needs of the poor and the needy, and adopted the Kristianong Katilingban (Basic Christian Communities) in the diocese. His efforts were supported by Pope John Paul II when he visited Bacolod on February 21, 1981. However, he was met with resistance, especially from the rich of Negros, when under mysterious circumstances the Bishop's House was burned in January 1985.[16] The diocese further lost territory in parts of Negros Occidental province on March 30, 1987, when the Diocese of Kabankalan[17] and the Diocese of San Carlos[18] were erected. Fortich retired on January 31, 1989, after reaching the age of 75.
Bishop Camilo Gregorio, auxiliary bishop of Cebu, was appointed to the Diocese of Bacolod on May 20, 1989. He attempted to continue the social pastoral program of his predecessor, however his focus was on bringing orthodoxy and spiritual renewal to the diocese. He convoked a Pastoral Congress in 1993 to meet this focus and to implement the acts and decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines. The Pope John Paul Institute of Marriage and the Family was established in the diocese during his term. He also initiated the island-wide caravans for the protection of life and for the promotion of a peaceful election, and declared the San Diego Parish Church as a pro-cathedral.[8] Bishop Gregorio was met with opposition from priests who were used to the pastoral program of Bishop Fortich. Divisions in the clergy grew due to the clash of opinions which affected the faithful of the diocese. Due to this, Bishop Gregorio resigned on August 28, 2000. He was later appointed as Prelate of Batanes in 2003.[19]
Bishop Vicente Navarra of Kabankalan was assigned as Apostolic Administrator after the latter's resignation, and subsequently as bishop of the diocese on May 24, 2001. The diocese hosted the National Youth Day in 2004 during his term. After examining the problems of the diocese, he convoked the Second Diocesan Synod on January 20, 2002, and promulgated its decrees on January 20, 2005, covering a wide range of subjects that intended to transform the diocese and the faithful, including the formalization of the Basic Ecclesiastical Communities. He led the diocese in celebrating its Diamond Jubilee in 2007 and established ADSUM, the official publication of the diocese in 2008. He was also vocal in defense of the environment and human life, especially during the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill in legislation.[20] Prior to the 2013 elections to the Philippines Senate posters were put up at parish churches that identified the senators who voted for and against passage of the bill as Team Patay (or death) and Team Buhay (or life), respectively, in reference to Team PNoy, the senatorial slate of Philippine President Noynoy Aquino. The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) attempted to have these posters removed, or at the least reduced in size.[21][22] The Philippine Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order stopping COMELEC from forcing the removal of the posters.[23]
Navarra retired when Bishop Patricio Buzon of Kabankalan was appointed as his successor on May 24, 2016. During his tenure, he convoked the Second Diocesan Pastoral Assembly on October 10–13, 2017 in which the Diocese formulated its Vision-Mission Statements: the diocese being a “listening Church journeying together towards holiness”.
"Protect life" posters prominently displayed at the San Sebastian Cathedral
Coat of arms
The shield is divided fesswise into two fields. In chief or (gold) are two arrows in saltire debruised by an upright Latin cross argent (silver), the symbols of St. Sebastian, martyr, titular of both the diocese and the cathedral of Bacolod. On a field of azure (blue) at base, the cathedral of Bacolod on a knoll vert (green) and a sugarcane stalk with vegetation to depict the major industry of Negros Occidental. The hill where the cathedral stands is called bakólod in Hiligaynon, in which the name of the city of Bacolod is derived.[24][25]
Bishops
Bishop
Period in Office
Coat of Arms
From
Until
Duration
Sede Vacante - Apostolic Administrator
Most Rev. James Paul McCloskey, D.D. † (Bishop of Jaro)
Gerardo Alimane Alminaza – former formator of the Sacred Heart Seminary, served in the Archdiocese of Jaro, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Jaro (2008-2013) and Bishop of San Carlos (2013–present)
Louie Patalinghug Galbines – former rector of the Sacred Heart Seminary and Vicar General, appointed Bishop of Kabankalan (2018–present)
Antonio Yapsutco Fortich was the third bishop of the Diocese of Bacolod. He is noted for being a social activist who fought for social justice in Negros. In 2018, Fortich was recognized by the Human Rights Victims' Claims Board as a Motu Proprio victim of the Martial Law Era.
The Archdiocese of Manila is the archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Metro Manila, Philippines, encompassing the cities of Manila, Makati, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Pasay, Taguig, and Quezon City. Its cathedral is the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, also known as the Manila Cathedral, located in Intramuros, which comprises the old city of Manila. The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title Immaculate Conception, is the principal patroness of the archdiocese.
The Archdiocese of Jaro is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church headquartered in Jaro, Iloilo City, Philippines. Its episcopal see is at the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, also the National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles, as its seat. The metropolitan archdiocese covers the provinces of Iloilo, Guimaras, Antique, and Negros Occidental. Its titular patron saint is Elizabeth of Hungary, whose feast is celebrated on November 17.
Gabriel Martelino Reyes was the 28th archbishop of Manila, and the first native Filipino to hold that post. He previously served as Archbishop of Cebu from 1934 to 1949, and then served as Archbishop of Manila from 1949 till his death in 1952.
The Archdiocese of Zamboanga is a Catholic archdiocese in the Philippines. Its present jurisdiction includes Zamboanga City, with suffragans in Basilan, Zamboanga Sibugay, and the Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo. It became Mindanao's first diocese in 1910, and was established as the second archdiocese of Mindanao in 1958. Today, the archdiocese covers a land area of 1,648 square kilometers and has a population of 442,345, of which 81 percent are Catholics. The archdiocese includes 28 parishes and one quasi-parish, served by 57 diocesan and 18 religious priests. There are also 51 religious sisters working in the archdiocese.
The Archdiocese of Cebu is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines and one of the ecclesiastical provinces of the Catholic Church in the country. It is composed of the entire civil province of Cebu. The jurisdiction, Cebu, is considered as the fount of Christianity in the Far East.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuguegarao is a Latin Church metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. Tuguegarao is a river delta city that became center of the archdiocese in the province of Cagayan, on the island of Luzon. Its seat is located at the Saint Peter the Apostle Metropolitan Cathedral.
The Archdiocese of Capiz is a Latin Church metropolitan archdiocese the Catholic Church in the Philippines. The archdiocese covers the entire province of Capiz on the island of Panay in the Visayas, central Philippines, and has its see in Roxas City. As an ecclesiastical province, it also encompasses the suffragan sees of Kalibo, which oversees the province of Aklan, and Romblon, which oversees the province of the same name. Its current archbishop is Victor Barnuevo Bendico, who was installed on May 3, 2023.
The Diocese of San Jose de Antique is a diocese of the Roman Rite of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church whose cathedral is in the municipality of San Jose de Buenavista, Antique in the Philippines. It oversees the entire province of Antique.
The Diocese of San Carlos is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. The diocese was split off from the Diocese of Bacolod together with the Diocese of Kabankalan in 1987 and is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Jaro in Iloilo City. The seat of the cathedral is the San Carlos Borromeo Cathedral in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kabankalan is a diocese of the Catholic Church in central Philippines. The Roman Rite Latin Church diocese is centered in the City of Kabankalan in Negros Occidental province and covers the southern part of the province. The diocese was created in 1987, when the Diocese of Bacolod was split into three dioceses. The other new diocese created is the Diocese of San Carlos, which covers the northeastern part of Negros Island and includes former parishes of the Diocese of Dumaguete in Negros Oriental province. The Diocese of Kabankalan is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Jaro like the other two dioceses of Negros Occidental.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dumaguete is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. Its territory consists of the provinces of Negros Oriental and Siquijor with the exception of the municipalities of La Libertad and Vallehermoso, and the cities of Guihulngan and Canlaon.
José Lázaro Fuerte Advíncula Jr. is a Filipino prelate of the Catholic Church and a professed member of the Dominican Order, who became 33rd Archbishop of Manila on June 24, 2021. He became a cardinal in November 2020. He previously served as bishop of San Carlos from 2001 to 2011 and Archbishop of Cápiz from 2011 to 2021. On December 16, 2020, Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Advincula as a member of the Dicastery for Clergy.
San Sebastian Cathedral is a late 19th-century Roman Catholic church in Bacolod, Negros Occidental in the Philippines. It is the seat of the Diocese of Bacolod.
Vicente Salgado y Garrucho was a Filipino Roman Catholic bishop and the second Bishop of Romblon succeeding His Most Reverend Nicolas M. Mondejar in 1988.
Julito Buhisan Cortes is a prelate of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. He is the current Bishop of Dumaguete in Negros Oriental, Philippines since September 2013. Before his appointment to the See of Dumaguete, Cortes was the Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu from 2002 to 2013.
Alfredo Verzosa y Florentín was the fourth native Filipino to be elevated as Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church and the first from Northern Luzon – the first Ilocano. Together with Laura Latorre Mendoza, a widow and catechist, they founded the Congregation of the Missionary Catechists of the Sacred Heart (MCSH), a congregation focusing on the missions of education and administration within the church, especially of Catholic catechesis. His cause for beatification is currently underway, having been declared Servant of God by Pope Benedict XVI.
Leandro Arrúe Agudo, O.A.R. was a Spanish Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Jaro from 1885 until his death. He was born in Calatayud, Zaragoza, Spain, on 13 January 1837 and took vows as an Augustinian Recollect in 1856.
Mariano Aspiras Madriaga was a Filipino prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of Lingayen-Dagupan from 1938 to 1973.
↑ Pope Pius XI, Apostolic Constitution creating the Diocese of BacolodAd Christi regnum (July 15, 1932), Acta Apostolicae Sedis 25 (1933), 357-360. De Jarensis et Nominis Iesu seu Cæbuanæ dioecesium in Philippinis Insulis dismembratione et novæ dioecesis «de Bacolod» erectione.
1 2 3 Sa-onoy, Modesto (2007). Church on a Hill: History of Diocese of Bacolod.
↑ "Consagracion del Exclmo. Mons. Lladoc". Boletin Eclesiastico de Filipinas. XI (123 (September–October 1933)): 630 – via UST Miguel de Benavides Library and Archives Digital Collections.
↑ "Toma de Posesión de Mons. Lladoc". Boletin Eclesiastico de Filipinas. XI (124 (November 1933)): 700–701 – via UST Miguel de Benavides Library and Archives Digital Collections.
↑ "Exequias del primer obispo de Bacolod". Boletin Eclesiastico de Filipinas. XXV (281 (November 1951)): 707–715 – via UST Miguel de Benavides Library and Archives Digital Collections.
↑ Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Constitution creating the Diocese of San Carlos Resonant Usquequaque (March 30, 1987), Acta Apostolicae Sedis 79 (1987), 1042-1043.
↑ Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Constitution creating the Diocese of San Carlos Certiores Quidem (March 30, 1987), Acta Apostolicae Sedis 79 (1987), 1040-1041.
↑ Rufo, Aries (2013). Altar of Secrets: Sex, Politics, and Money in the Philippine Catholic Church. Journalism for Nation Building Foundation.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Philippines 
