José S. Palma
| His Excellency, The Most Reverend José Serofia Palma D.D., S.Th.D. | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu | |
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Archbishop José S. Palma in 2023
| |
| Church | Latin Church |
| Province | Cebu |
| See | Cebu |
| Appointed | October 15, 2010 |
| Installed | January 13, 2011 |
| Retired | September 30, 2025 |
| Predecessor | Ricardo Vidal |
| Successor | Alberto S. Uy |
| Previous posts | Bishop of Calbayog (1999–2006) Metropolitan Archbishop of Palo (2006–2010) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | August 21, 1976 by Alberto Jover Piamonte |
| Consecration | January 13, 1998 by Gian Vincenzo Moreni |
| Personal details | |
| Born | José Serofia Palma March 19, 1950 Dingle, Iloilo, Philippines |
| Denomination | Catholicism |
| Alma mater | St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary St. Joseph Regional Seminary Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas |
| Motto | Non nobis Domine (Latin for 'Not to us O Lord')[1] |
| Ordination history | |
| History Priestly ordination Ordained by Alberto Jover Piamonte Date August 21, 1976 Episcopal consecration Principal consecrator Gian Vincenzo Moreni Co-consecrators Alberto Jover Piamonte Fernando Capalla Date January 13, 1998 Place Jaro Cathedral | |
| Episcopal succession Bishops consecrated by José S. Palma as principal consecrator Patrick Daniel Y. Parcon August 22, 2014 Dennis C. Villarojo August 10, 2015 Ruben C. Labajo August 19, 2022 | |
José Serofia Palma (born March 19, 1950) is a Filipino prelate who served as Metropolitan Archbishop of Cebu from 2011 to 2025.[2][3] He had previously served as Metropolitan Archbishop of Palo in Leyte from 2006 to 2010, and as president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines from 2011 to 2013.
Early life
Palma was born in Dingle, Iloilo, in the Archdiocese of Jaro. He studied philosophy at St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary and theological studies at the St. Joseph Regional Seminary. He received his licentiate in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas in Manila, and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Jaro on August 21, 1976.[4]
Palma earned a doctorate from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas, Angelicum in Rome in 1987 with a dissertation entitled Death as an Act: A Dialogue in Eschatology with Contemporary Theologians.
Priesthood
After a year as assistant priest at the Jaro Cathedral, he taught at his alma mater, St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary. After his studies in Rome, he became rector of the seminary until he was appointed rector of the major seminary of the Metropolitan Province of Jaro-the St. Joseph Regional Seminary, in 1988. Meanwhile, he also held various positions in several diocesan commissions. In 1997 he was made parish priest of the Parish of St Anthony of Padua in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo (Archdiocese of Jaro). On November 28, 1997, Pope John Paul II appointed him Titular Bishop of Vazari Diddi and Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu. He was consecrated on January 13, 1998. Exactly a year later, he was made Bishop-Ordinary of the See of Calbayog.
As metropolitan archbishop
Metropolitan Archbishop of Palo
On March 18, 2006, Palma was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Palo by Pope Benedict XVI, succeeding Archbishop-Emeritus Pedro R. Dean.
Metropolitan Archbishop of Cebu
On October 15, 2010, he was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Cebu, replacing Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, who had been archbishop for 29 years. He was installed on January 13, 2011, at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.[5] He served as vice-president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines from December 1, 2009, until July 11, 2011, on which he was elected president.
In 2018, he was received into the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Dominic, a Third Order under the Order of Preachers.[6]
Pope Francis named him a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture on November 11, 2019.[7]
In December 2024, Archbishop Palma suspended indefinitely the celebration of Traditional Tridentine Mass (TLM) in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu until further notice.[8]
After 14 years of leading the Archdiocese of Cebu, Pope Leo XIV accepted his retirement at the age of 75 (the mandatory retirement age for bishops) on July 16, 2025, and appointed Alberto Uy, Bishop of Tagbilaran, as his successor, effective upon Uy's installation on September 30, 2025.[9]
References
- Back to citation Psalm 115:1
- Back to citation "Archbishop Palma Joins Dominican Order". CBCPNews. January 26, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- Back to citation "Rinuncia dell'Arcivescovo Metropolita di Cebu (Filippine) e Nomina del Successore". press.catholica.va (in Italian). October 15, 2010. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011.
- Back to citation "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cebu, Philippines". GCatholic.org. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- Back to citation Parco, Bernadette A; Vestil, Justin K. (January 13, 2011). "Joy and Sadness Greet Changing of the Guard". Sun. Star Cebu. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
- Back to citation "Archbishop Palma joins Dominican Order". CBCPNews. January 26, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
- Back to citation "Resignations and Appointments, 11.11.2019" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. November 11, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- Back to citation Limpag, Max (December 4, 2024). "Cebu Archbishop Palma suspends Traditional Latin Mass". Rappler. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- Back to citation Lagarde, Roy (July 16, 2025). "Pope names new Cebu archbishop". CBCP News. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
External links
- Media related to Jose S. Palma at Wikimedia Commons
- Catholic Hierarchy Archbishop Jose S. Palma
- Calbayog
- Palo Archdiocese