Pope Francis appoints a new Archbishop for Jaro, Philippines

Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo, of the Archdiocese of Jaro in the Philippines. Succeeding him will be Bishop José Romeo Orquejo Lazo, who has been serving as the Bishop of the Diocese of San José de Antique.

Bishop Lazo was born in San José de Buenavista Antique in 1949. He completed his seminary training at the St Vincent Ferrer Major Seminary in Jaro, and was ordained a priest in 1975. After his ordination he pursued higher studies at the East Asian Pastoral Institute, Quezon City, and the Institute of Pastoral Theology in Berkely in the United States.

After serving as a parish priest in Dao, he began teaching in St Peter’s Minor Seminary, later becoming rector there in 1983. From 1987-1993 he served as Vicar General for the Diocese of San José de Antique. After Post-graduate studies, in 1998 he became a member of the Assist Program organized by the Philippine Bishops for the on-going formation of local clery.

In 2003 Bishop Lazo was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Kalibo, and was ordained bishop on 29 December. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as bishop of  the Diocese of San Jose de Antique in 2009. He is currently vice chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Clergy, and a member of the Episcopal Commission on vocations for the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines.