CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan—Most Reverend Bartolome G. Santos, Jr., D.D. (Bishop-elect of Iba, Zambales) was officially consecrated during the episcopal ordination held at the Cathedral of the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in this city on Monday.
His Eminence Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, D.D. administered the Episcopal Ordination of the Most Rev. Santos.
Cardinal Tagle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Manila, served as the principal consecrator, together with Most Rev. Florentino G. Lavarias, D.D., Archbishop of San Fernando, and Most Rev. Jose F. Oliveros, D.D. Bishop of Malolos, as Co-Consecrators.
It has been more than 30 years since a Bulakenyo priest had been named Bishop of the Church.
Santos is the former Vicar-General of the Malolos Diocese and one of the six new bishops appointed this year by His Holiness Pope Francis in the Philippines.
The ceremony started during the holy mass where part of it was laying of hands, the prayer of ordination, anointing of the head, handing on to the pastoral staff and fraternal kiss.
Some 200 archbishops, bishops and priests from the Diocese of Malolos and Iba, Zambales witnessed the consecration.
Bartolome from Sta. Maria town was the third Bulakenyo elected bishop, the two others were Bishop Deogracias Iniguez from Meycauayan and Bishop Ruperto Santos from San Rafael.
Santos was born in Santa Maria, Bulacan on Dec. 1, 1967. After his philosophy and theology studies at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, he was ordained priest on Aug. 27, 1992.
Cardinal Tagle said that the new mission of Bishop Santos is a gift from God as well as a gift to the people of Iba, Zambales. (Manny Balbin/PNA)
