ILOILO CITY — On the 50th year of his priesthood, Jose Romeo “Romy” Lazo officially stepped down as the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Jaro.
ARCHBISHOP Jose Romeo Lazo at the 50th sacerdotal anniversary of his priesthood. He officially stepped down as the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Jaro in Iloilo. (Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral)
“My life as a priest is a journey — a symbol of sandals and reaching out — symbol of hands to others, as well as God reaching out to me, or to us, with that cross in sight,” said Lazo on Tuesday, April 1.
“Thank you very much for your love, for your presence and for your faithfulness to God’s love,” noted Lazo at the 50th sacerdotal anniversary of his priesthood at Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral in Iloilo City.
“May we continue in journeying together in synodality. This is my fervent hope in this Jubilee Year of Hope,” Lazo added in his homily.
Lazo stepped down from official duties in preparation for the official installation of Archbishop Midyphil “Dodong” Bermejo Billones on Wednesday, April 2.
A native of neighboring Antique province, Lazo served the Archdiocese of Jaro for only over seven years. He was appointed as Jaro Archbishop by Pope Francis in February 2018.
Lazo took over from Archbishop Angel Lagdameo.
Lazo was the sixth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Jaro, which oversees the Catholic Church in Iloilo City and the towns in Iloilo province and in the island-province of Guimaras.