Pope Francis has named Archdiocese of Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma as a member of the Vatican’s recently established Dicastery for Culture and Education.
Archbishop Palma, 72, is the newest member of the Vatican office, formed as the result of a merger between the Congregation for Catholic Education and the Pontifical Council for Culture of which the archbishop was a former member, said a Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines News post.
The Archdiocese of Cebu made the appointment public on Feb. 12.
The dicastery is currently headed by Portuguese Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, who was appointed by His Holiness as its prefect last September.
Divided into two sections, the dicastery works for the development of human values in people within the horizon of Christian anthropology, contributing to the full realization of Christian discipleship, according to the constitution.
The dicastery also coordinates the activities of several pontifical academies, such as the Pontifical Academy of Archeology and the Pontifical Academy of Theology.