The Diocese of Tarlac (Latin: Dioecesis Tarlacensis) is a Latin Catholic diocese comprising the whole civil province of Tarlac (except Camp Servillano Aquino in San Miguel, Tarlac City, which belongs to the Military Ordinariate) in the Philippines. The see is the Saint Sebastian Cathedral in Tarlac City.[1]
History
On February 16, 1963, the Diocese of Tarlac was created from territories from both the Diocese of San Fernando and the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. It is part of the Ecclesiastical Province of San Fernando, Pampanga.[1]
Enrique V. Macaraeg, Tarlac's third bishop was appointed bishop by Pope Francis on March 31, 2016. He was ordained on May 24, 2016, and installed on May 31, 2016. Macaraeg died in office on October 23, 2023 due to cardiac arrest, which left the diocese vacant for more than a year.[2]
On December 29, 2024, Pope Francis appointed Roberto Mallari, then bishop of San Jose, as the fourth Bishop of Tarlac.[3] He was canonically installed at the Tarlac Cathedral on March 27, 2025.[4]
Ordinaries
| No. | Bishop | Period in office | Notes | Coat of arms | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jesus Juan Acosta Sison | May 11, 1963 – January 21, 1988 (24 years, 255 days) | Resigned | ||
| 2 | Florentino Ferrer Cinense | January 21, 1988 – March 31, 2016 (28 years, 70 days) | Retired from office | ||
| 3 | Enrique de Vera Macaraeg | May 31, 2016 – October 23, 2023 (7 years, 145 days) | Died in office | ||
| 4 | Roberto Calara Mallari | March 27, 2025 – present (1 year, 163 days) | |||
Coadjutor Bishop
| No. | Bishop | Period in office | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florentino Ferrer Cinense | August 17, 1985 – January 21, 1988 (2 years, 157 days) | Succeeded Bishop Sison in 1988 | |
References
- 1.[1.2]"Jurisdictions - Diocese of Tarlac". CBCP Online. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- 2.Lopez, Rommel F. (October 24, 2023). "Tarlac bishop dies of cardiac arrest". The Philippine Star. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
- 3.CBCP News (December 29, 2024). "Pope Francis names new Tarlac bishop". Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
- 4.Dequia, Norman (January 13, 2025). "Canonical installation ni Bishop Mallari, pangungunahan ng Papal Nuncio" [Canonical installation by Papal Nuncio]. Radio Veritas. Retrieved January 31, 2025.