Bishop Ruperto Santos will be the new shepherd of the Diocese of Antipolo starting in July.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines news website reported on Monday that the 65-year-old prelate will be installed at 10 a.m. on July 22 at the International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, more popularly known as Antipolo Cathedral, in Rizal province.
Santos will oversee one of the Church’s fast-growing dioceses in the country, covering not just the city of Antipolo but also Marikina City and the entire province of Rizal.
“Please help me with your prayers. Remember me always at the altar of our Lord. Intercede for me to our Blessed Mother Mary that my episcopal ministry be like her: peace, good and full of grace,” Santos said in a statement.
Before being named to the post, Santos has been serving the Diocese of Balanga in Bataan province since July 2010.
Santos will succeed Bishop Francisco de Leon, whose resignation from the pastoral governance of the diocese was accepted by Pope Francis on May 24.
De Leon turned 75 in June 2022, the mandatory age for bishops to submit their resignations to the pope.
He will serve as the apostolic administrator of the Antipolo diocese until the day of the canonical possession by the new bishop.