The Archdiocese of Davao (Latin: Archidioecesis Davaënsis) is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. It is a metropolitan see in southern Mindanao. The archdiocese comprises the city of Davao, and the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte.
Under its jurisdiction are the three suffragan dioceses of Digos, Tagum, and Mati.
History
The beginnings of the Archdiocese started with the arrival of the Augustinian Recollects in 1848 followed by the Jesuits soon after.[1]
Its official beginnings came during its establishment as a Prelature Nullius on December 17, 1949, having the Archdiocese of Cebu as its Metropolitan. It was elevated into a diocese on July 11, 1966, and eventually became an archdiocese on June 29, 1970,[2] taking as its titular patron saint Peter the Apostle whose feast day is celebrated also on June 29.
The official name given to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction is "Archidioecesis Davaensis" and San Pedro Cathedral Parish as the seat of the archbishop.
On December 29, 1954, Clovis Thibault was appointed prelate of the prelature of Davao.[3] He was a priest of the Foreign Mission Society of Quebec. He became the first bishop and archbishop when the prelature was elevated into a diocese and later into an archdiocese. Antonio Lloren Mabutas, a native of Agoo, La Union, succeeded him on December 9, 1972.[4] He was then succeeded by Fernando Capalla who first became Coadjutor Archbishop on June 28, 1994, and became its archbishop on November 6, 1996.[5] The current archbishop of Davao is Romulo Valles, who was appointed in 2012.
Ordinaries
Archbishops
| No | Name | In office | Coat of arms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Clovis Joseph Thibauld | 1954–1966 (as Prelate) 1966–1970 (as Bishop) 1970–1972 (as Archbishop) | |
| 2. | Antonio Lloren Mabutas | 1972–1996 | |
| 3. | Fernando Capalla | 1996–2012 | |
| 4. | Romulo Geolina Valles | 2012–present |
Auxiliary bishops
- Fernando Capalla (1975–1977)
- Pedro Rosales Dean (1977–1980)
- Generoso Cambronero Camiña (1978–1979)
- Patricio Hacbang Alo (1981–1984)
- Juan de Dios Mataflorida Pueblos (1985–1987)
- Alfredo Banluta Baquial (1988–1993)
- Guillermo Dela Vega Afable (2001–2002)
- George Beluso Rimando (2006–present)[6]
Suffragan dioceses
| Diocese | Bishop | Period in office | Coat of arms | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digos (Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental) | Guillermo Dela Vega Afable | February 11, 2003 – present (23 years, 206 days) | |||
| Mati (Davao Oriental) | Abel Cahiles Apigo | April 25, 2018 – present (8 years, 133 days) | |||
| Tagum (Davao del Norte) | Medel Sacay Aseo | June 20, 2018 – present (8 years, 77 days) | |||
Statistics
As of 2023[7]:
- Total Population – 1,829,041
- Catholic Population – 1,506,873
- Diocesan Priests – 82
- Religious Priests – 51
- Male Religious – 119
- Female Religious – 530
- Parishes – 41
- Vicariates – 7[8]
- Catholic educational institutions – 3 seminaries, 2 universities, 6 colleges, and 14 high schools
References
- 1."Archdiocese of Davao". Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
- 2."Archdiocese of Davao". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
- 3."Archbishop Clovis Joseph Thibauld (Thibault), P.M.E. †". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
- 4."Archbishop Antonio Lloren Mabutas †". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
- 5."Archbishop Fernando Robles Capalla". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
- 6.Catholic Hierarchy: "Bishop George Beluso Rimando retrieved November 7, 2015
- 7."Archdiocese of Davao". Retrieved May 5, 2024.
- 8.Hijada, Vonz (April 26, 2015). "GKK leaders level off understanding on GKK norms". Davao Catholic Herald. Retrieved September 10, 2025.