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By NORA SORIÑO
GSD-Iligan bureau chief .

ILIGAN City–Pope Francis on Thursday  appointed a 46-year-old priest to be the new bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Iligan.

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Named as Iligan bishop is Fr. Jose Rapadas of the diocese of Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Since the death of Bishop Elenito Galido here  on Dec. 5, 2017, the Roman Catholic diocese here has been under Bishop Severo Caemero, of the diocese of Dipolog City as apostolic administrator in an acting capacity.

Caemero at 49 is among the youngest bishops of the Roman Catholic church. Rapadas is younger at 46.

In a report on the website of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, it said the bishop-elect is now the youngest Filipino bishop in  the country today.

CBCP reported that the appointment was announced in Rome at 12 noon (6 pm here) on Thursday.

The CBCP said that upon his appointment, the bishop-elect has been serving as the vicar general of the Roman Catholic diocese of Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay.

Rapadas was born in Tondo, Manila in 1972. He is a product of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Cagayan de Oro City, and was ordained a priest in 1999.

According to the CBCP website, he also holds a licentiate in dogmatic theology from the Loyola School of Theology in Ateneo de Manila University.

The report continued:

For 20 years in the priesthood, he has served in a number of pastoral roles including parish vicar and coordinator of diocesan social pastoral ministry.

The bishop-elect also served as seminary professor, director of the Office of Catechesis for the Family and Life, rector of the Saint Joseph College Seminary and professor of religious studies at the University of Zamboanga.

Rapadas will be the fifth bishop of Iligan, with around a million Catholic population in 26 parishes. (with reports from the CBCP website)

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