Catholic bishops in the Philippines have expressed joy over the appointment of Filipino priest Monsignor Erwin Jose Balagapo to a key role in the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization.
READ: Pope appoints Filipino priest as undersecretary of Vatican dicastery
Pope Francis named the Rome-based priest as undersecretary of the dicastery’s Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches.
As undersecretary, Balagapo will work alongside Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the missionary dicastery, and its other top officials.
The Catholic Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said the priest’s appointment is a fitting recognition of his “exemplary service” to the Church.
Cardinal-elect Pablo Virgilio David, bishop of Kalookan and CBCP president, wrote a letter to Balagapo on Friday, congratulating him.
“As you begin this new chapter in your service to the Church, I am confident that you will continue to contribute significantly to the advancement of the Church’s mission,” David said.
Balagapo, 53, was ordained priest for the Archdiocese of Palo in Leyte province.
He earned his licentiate in canon law from the University of Navarra in Spain in 1998 and doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome in 2001.
The priest subsequently completed the Rotale Study at the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, the Vatican’s highest appellate court, in 2014. He also obtained a licentiate in moral theology from the former pontifical institute “John Paul II” in 2013.
“Your academic achievements, pastoral dedication, and your tireless commitment to the evangelizing mission of the Church have been an inspiration to many,” David said. “You have continually demonstrated your love for the Church.”
An official of the then Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples since 2015, Balagapo was appointed head of office of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s Section for the First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches in 2023.
