Pope Francis has appointed a new bishop of the Diocese of Baguio, over a year after the position has been vacant.
According to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Vatican announced the promotion to bishop of 64-year-old Fr. Rafael Cruz on Thursday.
Cruz, a priest for nearly 4 decades, was born in Mapandan, Pangasinan and spent most of his priesthood in Pangasinan, and is the outgoing parish priest of the Parish of Saint Ildephonse in Poblacion, Malasiqui, Pangasinan, and vicar forane of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, which is led by Archbishop Socrates Villegas.
However, Cruz was also trained in Baguio, having taken his education in philosophy at the San Pablo Regional College Seminary in Baguio.
Cruz was ordained priest in 1985, while also holding a master’s degree in counseling psychology and a doctorate of philosophy in clinical psychology from the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU).
The dates of his ordination as Catholic bishop, and his installation as bishop of Baguio, have yet to be announced.
The seat of the Baguio bishop has been vacant since May 2023, when then-bishop Victor Bendico was named archbishop of Capiz.
