A Catholic priest appointed to become bishop of Tagbilaran has announced he will not take up the post, citing personal limitations and discernment.
Fr. Gerardo Saco Jr. said in a statement Tuesday he was asking for understanding for what he described as a “change of heart.”
“It comes from a deep awareness of my own human limitations and inadequacies,” Saco said.
His decision comes more than a month after Pope Leo XIV appointed him to lead the Tagbilaran diocese, which has been without a bishop since Archbishop Alberto Uy was transferred to Cebu in September 2025.
READ: Pope appoints new bishop of Tagbilaran
Saco had been serving as diocesan administrator at the time of his appointment and was scheduled for episcopal ordination and installation on May 26.
“Please be assured of my continued commitment as a priest, to journey with you in faith in the Risen Lord, who never abandons us in moments of trial and need,” he said.
