The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cotabato is a Latin Catholic metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church on the island of Mindanao, the Philippines. The archdiocese includes Cotabato City, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, western Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat (except for Columbio and Milbuk, Palimbang.
Its seat is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Cotabato City. The Archbishop's Palace is at 158 Sinsuat Avenue, Rosary Heights, Cotabato City.
History
On 11 August 1950, the Territorial Prelature of Cotabato and Sulu was formed out of the Diocese of Zamboanga. The Territorial prelature included the three provinces of North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao.
On 28 October 1953 it was renamed Territorial Prelature of Cotabato when it lost territory to the new the Apostolic Prefecture of Sulu. It lost territory again on 17 December 1960 to establish the Territorial Prelature of Marbel.
On 5 November 1979, Pope John Paul II elevated the Diocese of Cotabato to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cotabato.
Ordinaries
Metropolitan archbishops
| Archbishop | Period in office | Coat of arms | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Gerard Mongeau, OMI | March 27, 1951 - 12 June 1976 (as territorial prelate of Cotabato and Sulu and territorial prelate of Cotabato) (25 years, 77 days) 12 June 1976 - 5 November 1979 (as bishop of Cotabato) (3 years, 146 days) 5 November 1979 - 14 March 1980 (as archbishop of Cotabato) (130 days) | ||
| 2. | Philip F. Smith, OMI | 14 March 1980 - 30 May 1998 (18 years, 77 days) | ||
| 3. | Orlando B. Cardinal Quevedo, OMI | 30 May 1998 - 6 November 2018 (20 years, 160 days) | ||
| 4. | Angelito Lampon, OMI | (6 November 2018 – 8 September 2025)[1] (6 years, 306 days) | ||
| 5. | Charlie Malapitan Inzon, OMI | (8 September 2025[2] – present) (362 days) | ||
Auxiliary bishops
| Bishop | Period in office | Coat of arms | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Antonino Francisco Nepomuceno | 11 July 1969 (appointed) - 11 December 1979 (resigned) | ||
| 2. | José Colin Mendoza Bagaforo | 2 Feb 2006 (appointed) - 25 July 2016 (appointed bishop of Kidapawan) | ||
Province
Its ecclesiastical province comprises the metropolitan's own archbishopric and the suffragan dioceses of Kidapawan and Marbel.
Suffragan dioceses
| Diocese | Bishop | Period in office | Coat of arms | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kidapawan (Cotabato and Maguindanao) | Jose Colin Mendoza Bagaforo | September 6, 2016 – present (9 years, 364 days) | |||
| Marbel (South Cotabato, General Santos, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat) | Cerilo Uy Casicas | July 11, 2018 – present (8 years, 56 days) | |||
Religious congregations in the archdiocese
- Congregation of the Passion (Passionist Fathers)
- Oblates of Mary Immaculate
- Society of Mary or Marist Fathers
- Little Brothers of Mary or Marist Brothers
- Oblates of Notre Dame
- Religious of the Virgin Mary
- Siervas de la Nuestra Senora dela Paz
- Dominican Sisters of Saint Catherine of Siena
- Religious des Notre Dame de Missions
- Carmelite Sisters of Charity
- Passionist sisters
- Associates of Notre Dame
- Xaverian Missionaries of Christ Jesus with missions in Pastoral and Social Services in the Sanitarium and Provincial Jail in Cotabato and in Langgal, Senator Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat Province
- Order of Augustinian Discalced (OAD Lay)
References
- 1."Rinunce e nomine, 06.11.2018". Bolletino Quotidiano (in Italian). Sala Stampa della Santa Sede. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- 2.Villegas, Charm (September 8, 2025). "Pope appoints new Cotabato archbishop". CBCP News. Retrieved September 8, 2025.