POPE Francis, on Thursday night, June 13, 2019 tapped Father Jose Rapadas to become the new bishop of the Diocese of Iligan in Lanao del Norte.
In a report by CBCPNews, the Vatican announced the appointment of Rapadas at 12 noon (6:00 p.m. Manila time).
“The bishop-elect is just 46, the youngest Filipino bishop serving in and outside the country today,” said the official news agency of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
He will be the fifth bishop of Iligan, which has about a million Catholic population in 26 parishes.
Rapadas will succeed Bishop Elenito Galido, who died on December 5, 2017.
Since then, Dipolog Bishop Severo Caermare has been overseeing the diocese as apostolic administrator.
Rapadas was born in Tondo, Manila in 1972.
He is a product of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Cagayan de Oro City, and also holds a licentiate in dogmatic theology from the Loyola School of Theology in Ateneo de Manila University.
Rapadas was ordained a priest in 1999.
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.
Rapadas 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.
Prior to his appointment, Rapadas has been serving as the Vicar General of the Diocese of Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)