Pope Francis names Tagum bishop

MANILA, Philippines — Pope Francis has appointed a new bishop for Tagum in Davao del Norte, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) announced over the weekend.

Msgr. Medel Aseo will replace the 77-year-old Bishop Wilfredo Manlapaz who resigned from the post recently. 

The pope appointed Aseo on Saturday after accepting Manlapaz’s resignation, according to a report posted by the CBCPNews.

“Aseo, 63, of the clergy of the same diocese will be the second bishop of Tagum,” the CBCPNews said.

Aseo, a native of Kapaong, Davao del Norte, has been based in the US, serving the Saint Mary Parish in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

He was ordained in April 1979 and served as vicar of the Santo Niño Parish in Panabo as well as in the towns of Manay and Cateel in nearby Davao Oriental.

Aseo became vice-rector and procurator of the Seminary College of Tagum between 1983 and 1985, and was parish priest from 1986 to 1988 in Maragusan, also in Davao del Norte.

He finished his post-graduate studies at the Loyola School of Theology of the Ateneo de Manila University.