Pope names RH bill foe archbishop

Pope Benedict XVI has named a vocal opponent of the reproductive health (RH) bill to head the Archdiocese of Capiz.

Bishop Jose Advincula, 59, succeeds Archbishop Onesimo Gordoncillo, who resigned when he turned 75 in February 2010, as required by canon law.

Advincula, who has been bishop of San Carlos, Negros Occidental, since 2001, has been active in the Church campaign against the controversial RH bill and for clean elections.

Last April, he helped organize a five-day caravan in Negros island as part of the Church campaign against the RH bill. As Holy Week approached, he called on Catholic politicians supporting the RH bill to reflect and change their stand.

During the May 2010 elections, he witnessed the historic signing of a covenant for a peaceful campaign and elections by contenders for office in Escalante, Negros Occidental.

Advincula’s appointment was announced in the Vatican on Wednesday noon (7 p.m. in Manila). Msgr. Gabor Pinter, chargé d’affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature, relayed the news of the appointment to Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, media director of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Like homecoming

Gordoncillo will continue to head the Capiz archdiocese as apostolic administrator until Advincula’s installation. The announcement did not indicate the date of installation.

The appointment will be like a homecoming for Advincula who was born in Dumalag, Capiz, in 1952. He was ordained in 1976.

He is only the second Capiz native to become bishop of the see after Gordoncillo’s predecessor, the late Antonio Frondosa, who was also born in Dumalag. Bishops are rarely appointed to lead their home dioceses.

He went to St. Pius X Seminary in Roxas City for his high school studies, and went on to study philosophy there. He later became principal and rector of the seminary.

He studied theology at the University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary in Manila. He earned a masters in guidance and counseling at the De La Salle University in 1983 and subsequently studied canon law at the University of Santo Tomas and in Rome.

Fourth for Capiz

Advincula, who became a bishop in 2001, is also the fourth prelate to head the Capiz see, which was erected as a diocese in 1951 and elevated into an archdiocese in 1976.

He will be heading an archdiocese with 715,128 faithful, 113 priests and 122 religious. The archdiocese includes the entire province of Capiz and Roxas City as well as the satellite dioceses of Kalibo and Romblon.

Advincula is a member of the CBCP’s permanent commissions on women, family and life, indigenous peoples and doctrine of the faith.