Pope names Cardinal Rosales as Pasig apostolic administrator

Pope Benedict XVI has named Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales as concurrent Apostolic Administrator of the Pasig Diocese, following the resignation of Pasig Bishop Francisco San Diego. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said Wednesday the Pope made the announcement at noon Tuesday (7 p.m. Tuesday in Manila). "Cardinal Rosales’ appointment, which was announced on December 21 at 12:00 noon in Rome (7 p.m. local time), is concurrent with his being Archbishop of Manila. The pope has accepted the resignation of Bishop San Diego who turned 75 on October 10, 2010," the CBCP said on its news site on Wednesday. San Diego’s resignation stemmed from a Canon Law requirement for bishops to tender their mandatory resignation upon reaching the age of 75. Bishop San Diego The CBCP said San Diego has been bishop of Pasig for the past seven years. Ordained bishop on August 10, 1983, San Diego served as Coadjutor Apostolic Vicar of Palawan from 1983 to 1987 and Apostolic Vicar from 1987 to 1995. He was appointed second bishop of San Pablo Diocese in 1995, succeeding Bishop Pedro Bantigue. In 2003, the late Pope John Paul II named San Diego as first bishop of Pasig when the Archdiocese of Manila was subdivided to form the three new dioceses of Pasig, Kalookan and Cubao. Cardinal Rosales Rosales was born on August 10, 1932 in Batangas City. He was ordained a priest on March 23, 1958 . Rosales was formerly the prefect of discipline and the rector of the Minor Seminary of Lipa. On August 12, 1974, Rosales was appointed titular Bishop of Oescus and Auxiliary Bishop of Manila. On October 28 of the same year, he received episcopal ordination. During this period, Rosales also served as rector of San Carlos Seminary in Makati. He was appointed Bishop of the diocese of Malaybalay in 1984 and later as Archbishop of Lipa in 1992. On September 15, 2003, Rosales was appointed Archbishop of Manila. – VVP, GMANews.TV