The Holy Angel University (HAU)in Pampanga will confer the degree Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa, on incoming president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio S. David on Dec. 1.
In a statement posted on their Facebook page, HAU said this is for his inspirational leadership in Church and community and for his tireless work of evangelization as writer, homilist, cultural heritage worker and advocate for the environment, as well as for his courage to care for the poorest of the poor, defend the defenseless and empower the marginalized.
HAU said Bp. David will be the University’s ninth honorary doctor, after business leaders Manuel V. Pangilinan, Washington Z. SyCip and Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, educators Christopher and Victoria Bernido, former Archbishop of Manila Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, former Central Bank Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. and former Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. Born on March 2, 1959 in Betis, Guagua, Pampanga, David studied at the Mother of Good Counsel Minor Seminary and later at the San Jose Major Seminary.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in Pre-Divinity from the Ateneo de Manila University, his master’s degree in Theology from the Loyola School of Theology, and both his licentiate and doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. He has also trained at the École Biblique et Archeologique Française de Jerusalem, and is now considered one of the country’s leading Bible experts.
After his ordination as priest in 1983, he was appointed assistant parish priest of the Sta. Lucia Parish in Sasmuan and then assigned to the Mother of Good Counsel Seminary as Director of its philosophy department, then moved up to its theology department and became, in succession, its Dean of Graduate School, Spiritual Director, and Director of Formation. In 2006, he was appointed parish priest of The Lord’s Ascension Parish in San Fernando and Auxiliary Bishop of San Fernando at the same time. In 2008, he became parish priest of the Holy Rosary Parish in Angeles City while concurrently Auxiliary Bishop, and in 2016 he was installed as Bishop of Kalookan.
The conferment ceremonies which will be held during a special academic convocation will be livestreamed via Facebook.
HAU Board of Trustees Chairperson S. Josefina G. Nepomuceno, OSB and the University’s OIC President Leopoldo Jaime N. Valdes will confer the honorary doctorate on the prelate.