MANILA -- The youngest Filipino bishop in the country has been installed on Wednesday to head the diocese in his hometown in Daet, Camarines Norte.
According to an article posted in the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) news website, the installation of 48-year-old Bishop Rex Andrew Alarcon was attended by some 2,000 people at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity.
He is the fourth bishop to lead the diocese with more than half-a-million Catholics in 30 parishes that reside in Camarines Norte province.
Archbishop Gabrielle Caccia, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines; and Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, the Apostolic Nuncio to Australia, were among the bishops who attended the ceremony.
The installation happened a day after Alarcon's episcopal ordination at the St. John the Evangelist Metropolitan Cathedral in Naga City.
National and local government officials were also present at the event including Vice President Leni Robredo.
Pope Francis appointed Alarcon as the bishop of Daet on January 2. He succeeded Archbishop Gilbert Garcera who was transferred to the Archdiocese of Lipa in February 2017.
He was ordained as priest for the Archdiocese of Caceres in 1996, after his theology studies at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.
In 2001, Alarcon obtained his licentiate in Church history at Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy.
There are two Filipino bishops younger than Alarcon but they are based in other countries. They are Bishop Ryan Jimenez, 47, of Chalan Kanoa in Saipan; and Bishop Pedro Baquero, 48, of Kerema in Papua New Guinea. (PNA)
