New Batanes bishop installed

BASCO, Batanes — Msgr. Camilo Gregorio was installed here the other day as the fourth bishop of this northernmost province with a Catholic population of 13,000.

Apostolic Nuncio Msgr. Antonio Franco presided over the ceremony, assisted by Cebu Cardinal Ricardo Vidal; Msgr. Hernando Coronel, secretary-general of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines; Zamboanga Archbishop Carmelo Morelos; Bishop Vicente Manuel of the Archdiocese of Cebu; Cabanatuan City Auxiliary Bishop Sofronio Bancud; and Bishop Maximiano Cruz of Calbayog City.

Henrietta de Villa, former Philippine ambassador to the Holy See, was also present to witness Gregorio’s installation.

The 64-year-old Gregorio replaced Bishop Jose Salazar, who was relieved of his duties here to give him time to recover from the shock and injuries he suffered from the crash of a Laoag International Airlines plane in Manila Bay on Nov. 11 last year.

Salazar, who was appointed auxiliary bishop of Lipa City (Batangas) after the crash, failed to attend the ceremony.

Gregorio was born in Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija. He was ordained to the priesthood on Dec. 1, 1963 and appointed honorary prelate on Oct. 18, 1977.

He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Cebu on Jan. 12, 1987 and consecrated as bishop on March 29, 1987 in Rome.

From 1989 to 2000, Gregorio served as bishop of the Diocese of Bacolod, and was reassigned again to Cebu in January 2001, where he stayed until his appointment here last Sept. 13.