Cebuano priest named Apostolic Nuncio to PNG, Solomon Islands

Pope Benedict XVI has named Cebuano priest Reverend Msgr. Francisco Montecillo Padilla as Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

This was stated in the daily bulletin of the Holy See in the Vatican Information Service, noting that the Holy Father appointed Padilla, on April 1, as Apostolic Nuncio to PNG and Solomon islands.

Padilla will also be elevated as the titular bishop of Nebbio. His Episcopal ordination is scheduled on May 23 at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

He was ordained priest on October 21, 1976 here in Cebu City after finishing his theological studies at the University of Sto. Tomas. He entered diplomatic services for the Holy See on May 1, 1985.

While traditionally, affairs of this nature are done in Rome with the Holy Father, he has specifically requested that this ordination be celebrated in Cebu City as his ailing mother is unable to make a trip to Rome. This will be the first ordination of a papal nuncio that will be held in the Philippines.

Incidentally, Msgr. Francisco Padilla is the second papal nuncio in the family. His elder brother, Msgr. Osbaldo Padilla, is now the Papal Nuncio to Costa Rica.

Prior to his elevation, Padilla was the Counselor in the Apostolic Nunciature in Australia. Also, he used to be an Attaché and Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in the Dominican Republic from 1985-1989 and secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in Venezuela from 1982-1992 as well as Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in Austria from 1992-1995.

He was also the counselor of the Apostolic Nunciature in India on 1995-1998 and counselor of the Apostolic Nunciature in Japan from 1998-2000.

Padilla was born in Cebu City on September 17, 1953. He is the 10th of 13 children of Dr. Tiburcio Padilla and Concesa Montecillo.

Padilla had his post graduate studies at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy from 1983 to 1985. During his doctorate in theology, he graduated as Summa Cum Laude at the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome last 1983.

He is the third Cebuano appointed as Apostolic Nuncio. Other than his brother Osbaldo, Adolfo Tito Yllana was also named as the Apostolic Nuncio to Papua New Guinea. - Jasmin R. Uy