Pope names new Filipino bishop

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed the first Filipino bishop of his papacy in the person of Jose Rojas as the new auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Caceres in Naga City.

In a communiqué to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Antonio Franco said Rojas was appointed after the Pope accepted the resignation of Salvador Modesto as auxiliary bishop upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.

Rojas was born on Aug. 18, 1956 in Cebu City. When he was a boy, he and his parents left for Naga City where he entered the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary in 1969.

Rojas was ordained a priest on March 29, 1981 at the Naga City Cathedral.

Rojas, 48, finished his master’s degree in religious education at the University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary and another in religious studies at the KLU Louvain in Belgium. In 1987, he finished his doctorate in moral theology also at KLU Louvain.

Rojas started his ministry as assistant parish priest of Our Lady of Penafrancia in Naga City in 1981. He later taught at various seminaries in Naga City.

Prior to his appointment as auxiliary bishop, Rojas served as priest at the Immaculate Conception Parish in Naga City.

The date for the installation of Rojas as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Caceres has yet to be anno