Pope appoints Andaya as bishop of Cabanatuan
MANILA, Philippines — Pope Francis appointed Bishop Prudencio Andaya Jr. as the new head of the Diocese of Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija on Sunday.
Andaya will replace Bishop Sofronio Bancud, whose resignation was accepted by Pope Francis also on Dec. 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
According to CBCPNews, the official news service provider of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Andaya will become the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Cabanatuan.
The diocese has supervision over the southern part of Nueva Ecija with more than 1.2 million Catholics in 30 parishes across 15 towns, including the cities of Palayan and Gapan.
The 65-year-old Andaya was born in Lubuagan town in Kalinga. He was ordained in 1986 to the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CICM).
After his ordination, he was sent to Zambia where he assumed different responsibilities.
In 1998, he returned to the Philippines and served as socius and novice master at the CICM Novitiate in Taytay, Rizal before becoming the bishop of Tabuk, which covers the provinces of Kalinga and Apayao, in 2003.
Andaya previously served as chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Indigenous Peoples and vice chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Culture.
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