THE former chairman of the Archdiocesan Commission on Worship and founder of the Society of the Angel of Peace, Msgr. Cristobal Garcia, has died at the age of 69.
A statement issued by his family said he died on Monday, May 10, 2021, while receiving care in Manila for pneumonia, heart failure and acute kidney failure.
“We are currently making arrangements to bring his body home to Cebu, where he will lie in state before burial,” the statement read.
Garcia also founded the Dominus Pascit Me Foundation. He retired from active ministry back in 2012.
His family described Garcia as a man of vision, character and many talents.
“But, above all, he was a man dedicated to God and to the Church,” the family stated.
Garcia was thrust into the spotlight in September 2012 after the National Geographic magazine published the article “Blood Ivory: Ivory Worship.”
The article, written by Bryan Christy, sparked a controversy after it described Garcia as one of the best known ivory collectors in the country.
At the time, however, Garcia’s health had started to fail.
“We are not denying that there was a controversy created by the NatGeo article involving, among other things, ivory trading, but his health (was) already failing at that time and probably the best recourse for him was to really just rest and recover so as not to endanger his life any further,” said Msgr. Joseph Tan, spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Cebu.
“Among other considerations, not only the controversy raised by the NatGeo article, there was really a serious health concern where his heart was failing. He had had a brain tumor surgery a few years back and his health further declined. He was also aging, and he wasn’t really fit to work anymore, principally speaking,” Tan added.