Pope Francis has assigned two Filipino priests from Cebu to Vatican posts.
The Archdiocese of Cebu on Wednesday, July 3 said, the Holy Father has assigned Monsignor Jan Thomas Limchua as the Counselor of the Apostolic Nunciature in the Kingdom of The Netherlands while Fr. Hezron Jhud Cartagena has been assigned as Attache of the Apostolic Nunciature of Ivory Coast.
Msgr. Limchua earlier served at the Vatican’s Section for the Relations with States in 2020 under the Secretariat of State of the Holy See. He also served as “Chaplain of His Holiness” or Papal Chaplain.
Msgr. Limchua began his diplomatic career for the Holy See in 2014 when he served at the Apostolic Nunciature of Benin and Togo in West Africa and in Cairo,Egypt.
He finished his Theological studies at the Faculty of Theology in the University of Navarre in Pamplona, Spain and his doctorate in Canon Law at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, Italy.
Msgr. Limchua was ordained priest for the Archdiocese of Cebu in 2010.
Fr. Cartagena completed his missionary year in Brazil. He is the fourth Cebuano priest to enter the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See.
The Pontiff earlier assigned two Cebuano priests brothers Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla as Apostolic Nuncio Emeritus of Korea and Archbishop Francisco Padilla as Apostolic Nuncio to Guatemala.
Archdiocese of Cebu Spokesperson Msgr. Joseph Tan said Pope Francis’ decision to assign Filipino priests to Vatican posts is an indication of the Holy Father’s trust in their capabilities to govern and serve as missionaries in different parts of the world.