Jose S. Palma
Encyclopedia
The Most Reverend José Serofia Palma, D.D.
, S.Th.D
(born 19 March 1950) is the current Archbishop of Cebu
since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI
on 15 October 2010. He had previously served as Archbishop of Palo
in the province and island of Leyte
. He is also the current President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
.
and theological studies at the St. Joseph Regional Seminary. He received his licentiate
in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical and Royal University Santo Tomas
in Manila, and a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas
in Rome. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Jaro on 21 August 1976.
until he was appointed rector of the Major seminary of the Metropolitan Province of Jaro-the St. Joseph Regional Seminary, in 1988. Meanwhile, he also held various positions in several diocesan commissions. In 1997 he was made parish priest of the Parish of St Anthony of Padua in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo (Archdiocese of Jaro). On 28 November 1997, Pope John Paul II
appointed him Titular Bishop
of Vazari Diddi and Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu
. He was consecrated on 13 January 1998. Exactly a year later, he was made Bishop-Ordinary of the See of Calbayog
.
by Pope Benedict XVI
, succeeding Archbishop-Emeritus Pedro R. Dean
.
who had been archbishop for 29 years. He was installed on January 13, 2011 at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. He served as Vice-President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines from 1 December 2009 until 11 July 2011 on which he was elected President.
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
, S.Th.D
Doctor of Sacred Theology
The Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
(born 19 March 1950) is the current Archbishop of Cebu
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cebu is one of the ecclesiastical provinces of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines that is composed of the entire civil province of Cebu...
since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
on 15 October 2010. He had previously served as Archbishop of Palo
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palo
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palo is a large administrative diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the town of Palo in Leyte province, Philippines. It was formed as a diocese on the 28th of November, 1937, and became an archdiocese in 1982, with Calbayog, Borongan, Catarman and Naval Diocese...
in the province and island of Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
. He is also the current President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines is the official organization of the Catholic episcopacy in the Philippines. Archbishop Jose S. Palma of Cebu is the current president while Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan is the current Vice President. The CBCP has 99 active...
.
Early life
Palma was born in Dingle in the Archdiocese of Jaro. He studied philosophy at St. Vincent Ferrer SeminarySt. Vincent Ferrer Seminary
The Saint Vincent Ferrer Seminary is the first institution of Higher Education in Western Visayas, which was founded in 1869. It is the fifth oldest and the last seminary that was established during the Spanish colonial period.-The beginning:...
and theological studies at the St. Joseph Regional Seminary. He received his licentiate
Licentiate
Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...
in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical and Royal University Santo Tomas
University of Santo Tomas
The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines , is a private Roman Catholic university run by the Order of Preachers in Manila. Founded on April 28, 1611 by archbishop of Manila Miguel de Benavides, it has the oldest extant university charter in the...
in Manila, and a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas
Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas
The Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, also known as the Angelicum, is the Dominican university of Rome, and one of the principal pontifical universities. As such, it is directly dependent on the Pope for its recognition as outlined in the Apostolic Constitution Sapientia Christiana,...
in Rome. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Jaro on 21 August 1976.
Priesthood
After a year as assistant priest at the Cathedral of Jaro, he taught at the St Vincent Ferrer Seminary. After his studies in Rome, he became rector of the same St. Vincent Ferrer SeminarySt. Vincent Ferrer Seminary
The Saint Vincent Ferrer Seminary is the first institution of Higher Education in Western Visayas, which was founded in 1869. It is the fifth oldest and the last seminary that was established during the Spanish colonial period.-The beginning:...
until he was appointed rector of the Major seminary of the Metropolitan Province of Jaro-the St. Joseph Regional Seminary, in 1988. Meanwhile, he also held various positions in several diocesan commissions. In 1997 he was made parish priest of the Parish of St Anthony of Padua in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo (Archdiocese of Jaro). On 28 November 1997, Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
appointed him Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Vazari Diddi and Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
. He was consecrated on 13 January 1998. Exactly a year later, he was made Bishop-Ordinary of the See of Calbayog
Roman Catholic Diocese of Calbayog
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Calbayog is an ecclesiastical territory of the Roman Catholic Church named after its episcopal see, Calbayog City, a city on the western side of the province of Samar in the Philippines.-History:...
.
Archbishop of Palo
On 18 March 2006, Abp. Palma was appointed Archbishop of PaloRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Palo
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palo is a large administrative diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the town of Palo in Leyte province, Philippines. It was formed as a diocese on the 28th of November, 1937, and became an archdiocese in 1982, with Calbayog, Borongan, Catarman and Naval Diocese...
by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
, succeeding Archbishop-Emeritus Pedro R. Dean
Pedro R. Dean
The Most Reverend Pedro Rosales Dean, Jr., D.D., S.Th.D is the Archbishop emeritus of Palo since the appointment of Archbishop Jose S. Palma as his successor. He served the Archdiocese of Palo from 12 October 1985 until 18 March 2006....
.
Archbishop of Cebu
On 15 October 2010 he was appointed Archbishop of Cebu replacing Ricardo Cardinal VidalRicardo Cardinal Vidal
Ricardo Jamin Vidal is a Filipino Cardinal Priest and the Archbishop-emeritus of Cebu in the Roman Catholic Church. On October 15, 2010 his resignation as archbishop of Cebu was accepted by Pope Benedict XVI and he was replaced by Jose S...
who had been archbishop for 29 years. He was installed on January 13, 2011 at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. He served as Vice-President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines from 1 December 2009 until 11 July 2011 on which he was elected President.