By Analou De Vera
Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles was re-elected president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Saturday.
Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao, CBCP President (MANILA BULLETIN)
Valles was voted by his colleagues during their plenary assembly in Manila that started today until Monday, July 8, according to a CBCP News post.
This will be the second and last term of the Davao prelate to lead the CBCP.
The 67-year-old prelate was first elected as president of the CBCP in July 2017, succeeding Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas.
Valles re-election would also "make him more visible face of the church as it gears for the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines in 2021," the CBCP said.
Meanwhile, Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David was also re-elected as vice president, Palo Archbishop John Du as treasurer, and Fr. Marvin Mejia as secretary general.
The elected CBCP officials will begin their term of office on Dec. 1, 2019 to Nov. 30, 2021.
"About 83 bishops, 73 of them are active and five are retired, attended the ongoing assembly at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila," the CBCP said.
"The CBCP is currently composed of 134 members— 83 of them are active, 3 are administrators, and 45 are retired from 86 ecclesiastical jurisdictions," it added.
Meanwhile, Pope Francis has expressed his support to the members of the CBCP as they "discuss matters that affect the Church and the country" during the plenary assembly.
Pope Francis wished that the assembly will "bear fruit for the benefit of all the faithful in an environment of living communion."