Pope names 2 new bishops

Pope John Paul II has recently appointed two new bishops of the Philippine Catholic Church.

Appointed are Reverend Fr. Patricio Buzon, currently Provincial Superior of the Southern Province, as Bishop of the Diocese of Kabankalan in Negros; and Reverend Fr. Isabelo Abarquez, of the Diocesan clergy of Cebu, as Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu, assigning to him the Titular See of Talattula.

The announcement of the two new Philippine bishops was "officially published on Dec. 27 at noon in the Vatican, said a communication sent by Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Antonio Franco, of the Apostolic Nunciature, in the Philippines, to Fr. James Reuter, executive secretary, National Office of Mass Media, Manila.

Reuter, in another communication addressed to media outfits, said that Buzon was the Provincial Superior of Don Bosco in the South, while Abarquez was a secular priest, but Rector of the Seminary, in the Diocese of Cebu.

The installation of the two bishops has yet to be scheduled. — Sandy Araneta