Archbishop Charles Brown, apostolic nuncio to the Philippines, said more episcopal appointments are expected before the end of the year as the Vatican continues efforts to fill several vacant dioceses in the country.
In an interview Monday on Radyo Veritas’ “Barangay Simbayanan” program, he asked the faithful to pray for the appointment of new bishops, saying that the process requires “careful study and discernment.”
“We have five vacant dioceses, so we’ll have more appointments before Christmas,” Brown said.
As the Pope Leo XIV’s representative in the Philippines, he explained that his role involves submitting a list of qualified priests to the Dicastery for Bishops, which then reviews their credentials before the pontiff makes the final decision.
“A bishop is someone who has faith, who has lived a good life as a priest, who is a man of prayer, and who also can administer and govern a diocese,” he said.
Brown emphasized that being a bishop entails both pastoral and administrative responsibilities.
“To be a bishop today is to receive the crown of thorns,” he said. “In many parts of the world, to be a bishop is to accept the cross and go forward.”
At present, the dioceses of Kalibo, San Jose de Nueva Ecija, and Tagbilaran, as well as the apostolic vicariate of Tabuk remain “sede vacante” or without a bishop.
The apostolic vicariate of Jolo will also soon become vacant once Archbishop Charlie Inzon is formally installed as the new shepherd of the Cotabato archdiocese.
Some bishops are also expected to retire soon upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, including Archbishop Marlo Peralta of Nueva Segovia and Bishop Patricio Buzon of Bacolod.
Meanwhile, the Diocese of Boac, which had been vacant for almost a year, now has a new bishop with the recent appointment of Fr. Edwin Panergo of the Diocese of Lucena as its new shepherd. His episcopal ordination and installation have yet to be announced.
