Cardinal Jose Advincula of Manila will soon announce a major reshuffle of priests in the archdiocese.
According to Fr. Jerome Secillano of the archdiocese’s public affairs ministry, the new clergy assignments, which will take effect in November, will be announced in October.
“But some were already reassigned because of the priests who were expected to be in the seminary before the opening of classes,” Secillano said.
The scheduled reshuffle was also confirmed to church reporters by Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio, the archdiocese’s current vicar general and moderator curiae.
Like other dioceses, priests in Manila are usually given a six-year term before they are transferred to other assignments.
The last reshuffling of priests’ assignments in the archdiocese took place in 2015 during the term of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle as archbishop.
A day after he was installed as Tagle’s successor in June 2021, Cardinal Jose Advincula ordered to maintain the status quo of priests’ assignments “in order that the administration of the Archdiocese of Manila and the pastoral services rendered to the people of God are ensured”.
In November 2021, the cardinal made his first curial appointments, naming Fr. Isidro Marinay and Fr. Carmelo Arada Jr., as chancellor and vice chancellor respectively.
In January this year, he appointed Fr. Regie Malicdem, the current rector of the Manila Cathedral, as spokesman of the archdiocese.
The archdiocese had no spokesperson for many years. The last to hold the post was then Manila Auxiliary Bishop Socrates Villegas, who is now the archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan.
The cardinal also named Secillano to head the public affairs ministry and Fr. Enrico Martin Adoviso to the Ministry on Socio-Political Advocacy or Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).
There around 220 priests incardinated to the archdiocese, which covers 86 parishes in the cities of Manila, Pasay, Makati, Mandaluyong and San Juan.
