Division of Archdiocese of Cebu revived

CEBU - Archbishop Jose Palma said the plan to divide the Archdiocese of Cebu is being revived to better serve the millions of faithful in the province.

Palma explained the Archdiocese of Cebu is vast and consists of 174 parishes, including those in different islands of the province. He first floated the idea in 2011 with the former Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal supporting Palma because “it would be good to serve the needs of the faithful.”

Vidal even suggested the Cebu archdiocese be divided into three - North Cebu, Metro Cebu, and South Cebu.

Currently, the suffragan dioceses of the ecclesiastical province of Cebu include Dumaguete, Maasin, Talibon and Tagbilaran.

“In the process, this division in the Archdiocese (Cebu) is really in progress. Actually, this plan has been going on for a long time, we are in the process, this aims to serve more people, especially in the far-flung areas in Cebu province," Palma said.

Palma’s statement came following the ordination of Bishop Ruben Labajo as Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese last month. He is the second co-bishop of the archdiocese along with Bishop Midyphil Billones.

The Cebu archdiocese also has two auxiliary prelates Bishop Antonio Ranola and Bishop Emilio Bataclan who are both retired. (Ferdinand Patinio)