Fr Leonard E Dollentas
After being vacant for more than a year, the Archdiocese of Manila finally has its Archbishop. On June 24, 2021, the solemnity of the Birth of St John the Baptist, Cardinal Jose Advincula of Capiz was officially installed as the 33rd Archbishop of Manila, succeeding Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who was named Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of the Peoples in the Vatican.
Prior to his installation, Cardinal Advincula received his “red hat” and the cardinal’s ring on May 28, 2021, at the Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral in Roxas City in a ceremony led by Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles John Brown. Pope Francis named Advincula as cardinal in October 2020, along with 12 other cardinals. Due to travel restrictions in the country brought by the COVID-19 pandemic Advincula failed to physically attend the consistory at the Vatican and was not able to receive his red hat and ring from the hands of Pope Francis.
The Cardinal comes from a family of priests. He has two brothers who also became priests: the older brother, the late Monsignor Benjamin Advincula and Father Neil Peter Advincula, the youngest, is presently the parish priest of Cuartero, Capiz. A first cousin on his mother’s side is also a priest, Fr Antonio Fuerte Arinquin, also serves in the archdiocese of Capiz. Two of his uncles on the mother’s side were also priests Monsignor Soforiano Fuerte, her mother’s brother, and her first cousin Monsignor Edmundo Fuerte.
The solemn installation and Mass as the archbishop of Manila was held at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, where Advincula was welcomed by Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso. The installation fell on June 24 which is also a significant day for the city of Manila, being its 450th founding anniversary. Hence, a civic ceremony to honor the new cardinal was also held in the early morning of June 24 with Mayor Domagoso and the mayors of Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasay and San Juan cities. The archdiocese encompasses these four cities apart from Manila.
The installation ceremony was also attended by Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown and some bishops and with some 400 people, comprising the clergy and the faithful. In his homily during his solemn installation, the cardinal said: “You must have heard something about me already, about my ministry as priest and bishop, and especially how I have tried to live up to my episcopal motto, AUDIAM – I WILL LISTEN. My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, I have nothing new to tell you today, except my commitment to renew my heart’s desire to be a listening [shepherd] to the flock entrusted to my care: especially the priests, consecrated persons, and laity of the Archdiocese of Manila.”
Cardinal Advincula will lead an Archdiocese with approximately three million Catholics. The Archdiocese of Manila is also the ecclesiastical province of nine suffragans, including the dioceses of Novaliches, Parañaque, Cubao, Caloocan, Pasig, Antipolo, Malolos, Imus, and San Pablo.
Follow
