Bishop Francisco Claver dies at 81

A retired Catholic bishop who was a vocal defender of civil rights under Martial Law succumbed to pulmonary embolism before dawn Thursday at age 81. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said Bishop Francisco Claver died at 2:41 a.m. at the intensive care unit of the Cardinal Santos Medical Center. An article posted on the CBCP news site described Claver as "one of the strongest defenders of civil rights among the bishops at the height of strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos’ Martial Law." Pulmonary embolism is a condition where arteries in one’s lungs become blocked. Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo described Claver as a “Filipino prophet without peer, truest priest, innovative humble shepherd, a very dear friend." "He is with Jesus whom he proclaimed with eloquent words, spoken and written, in all arena of human life. Who can take his place? My tears flow," Quevedo added. The CBCP said Claver was born in Bontoc on January 20, 1929 and became a Jesuit priest at age 32 on June 18, 1961. At age 40, he was appointed Prelate of Malaybalay in Bukidnon province. He chaired the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace from 1995 to 1999. Claver was ordained Titular Bishop of Nationa on August 22, 1969 and became Bishop of Malaybalay in November 15, 1982. He resigned from his post in Bukidnon on September 14, 1984. At age 66, he was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Bontoc-Lagawe, his hometown, on November 2, 1995 and retired after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75 in April 15, 2004. While in retirement, Claver was a columnist of the CBCP Monitor, the official newspaper of the CBCP. — LBG, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV