CEBU CITY, Philippines—Pope Francis appointed two priests from Cebu City and Palo town in Leyte as auxiliary bishops of the Cebu Archdiocese.
They are Msgr. Dennis Villarojo, secretary general of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC), and Msgr. Oscar Florencio, rector of St. John the Evangelist School of Theology (SJEST) in Palo.
The appointments will bring to three the number of auxiliary bishops in Cebu although Bishop Emilio Bataclan is set to retire in September.
The appointments were announced at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, said Msgr. Joseph Tan, spokesman of the Cebu Archdiocese.
Villarojo, 48, and Florencio, 49, will be helping Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma in his tasks.
Villarojo said his appointment as bishop entails greater responsibilities.
“I take this as a gift from God,” he said.
“Please pray for me,” said the other appointee, Florencio. “This is a gift not only for myself,” he said.
Florencio was the relief operation coordinator of the Archdiocese of Palo in the aftermath of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” that devastated Leyte on Nov. 8, 2013.