Newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Rwanda Arnaldo S. Catalan was ordained as bishop on Friday, Feb. 11.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Prefect of the Vatican's Congregation of the Evangelization of Peoples, led the ordination of Catalan at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros together with Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula and Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles Brown.
During his homily, Tagle thanked God for the gift of a new bishop.
"We thank and praise God for gathering us together as one community of faith as we witness as a church God's enduring care and concern for his people in the gift of a new bishop," he said.
The Cardinal also thanked Catalan for responding to God's call to be a bishop.
Tagle also expressed his gratitude to the family of the archbishop-elect.
"We thank the family of the archbishop-elect Arnie for your generosity also in giving one of your sons to the service of the church," he said.
Pope Francis appointed Catalan as nuncio to Rwanda on Jan. 31 succeeding Archbishop Andrzej Józwowicz who was transferred to Iran in June 2021.
In appointing Catalan as a Vatican envoy, the Pope also elevated him to the titular See of Apollonia, with the dignity of Archbishop.
A priest of the Archdiocese of Manila, the archbishop-elect was ordained to the priesthood in March 1994.
At 55, he is the first priest of the archdiocese to become a nuncio.
Catalan has been serving as the Chargé d’affaires of the diplomatic mission of the Holy See in China (Taiwan) since 2019.
He joined the Holy See Diplomatic Service in July 2001 and has served in the Apostolic Nunciatures in Zambia, Kuwait, Mexico, Honduras, Turkey, India, Argentina, Canada, and the Philippines.