Villegas begins term as new CBCP president today

MANILA, Philippines - The protégée of the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin formally starts his term as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) today. 

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas succeeds Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, who reportedly begged off from being re-elected as CBCP president as he had to focus on his pastoral work at the Archdiocese of Cebu and on preparations for the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in 2016.

Villegas was the vice president of CBCP prior to his election as president. Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles is the new CBCP vice president.

The CBCP president and vice president are elected for two-year terms and can serve for a minimum of two terms. By tradition, they are re-elected for their second and last term. 

In CBCP history, members of the permanent council enjoy two terms in office, with the vice president normally succeeding the president when his term expires.

Other members of the CBCP permanent council are Palo Archbishop John Du who serves as treasurer and Fr. Marvin Mejia, secretary-general.

CBCP’s new regional representatives for Luzon are San Fernando La Union Bishop Rodolfo Beltran (North); Cabanatuan Bp Sofronio Bancud (Central); Daet Bp Gilbert Garcera (Southern); Lucena Bp Emilio Marquez (Southeast), and Manila Auxiliary Bp Bernardino Cortez (Southwest).

For Visayas, the new regional representatives are Borongan Bp Crispin Varquez (East) and Capiz Abp Jose Advincula (West).

For Mindanao, the new representatives are Malaybalay Bp Jose Cabantan (North) and Jolo Bp Angelito Lampon (South). 

The new officers of the CBCP were elected during the CBCP Plenary Assembly last July. They would serve from Dec. 1, 2013 to Nov. 30, 2015.

Bruce Lee led CBCP leader to priesthood

Villegas said that it was the famous martial artist Bruce Lee who led him to the priesthood. The 53-year-old archbishop admitted that he had idolized Lee since his student years and made him ponder on finding himself. 

“One of his (Lee’s) writings inspired me when I was in high school. He said, ‘the cup realizes itself only by being empty’ so it was like a call for sacrifice or for something greater than what I have been doing,” Villegas said.

The Pangansinan prelate has been very vocal in his admiration for Lee that on the occasion of his silver jubilee as a priest that was held in Dagupan City on Oct. 6, 2010, he said that he believed that God used Lee to call him. 

“Before I heard the words of Jesus ‘Come follow me’, I first heard the words of Bruce Lee ‘Be yourself and learn the art of dying,” Villegas said in his homily in 2010.