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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bacolod is a
diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...
of the
Latin Rite Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church ''sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language onc ...
of the
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
in
Negros Occidental Negros Occidental ( hil, Nakatungdang Negros; tl, Kanlurang Negros), officially the Province of Negros Occidental, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region. ...
,
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
. A suffragan of the Archdiocese of Jaro, its jurisdiction covers most of the northwestern towns and cities of the province of Negros Occidental namely, as far as Victorias City in the north and the Municipality of Hinigaran in the south. The seat of the diocese is the
San Sebastian Cathedral The San Sebastian Cathedral is a late 19th-century church in Bacolod, Negros Occidental in the Philippines. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bacolod. History A small village inhabited by Malayans called ''Magsungay'' was placed und ...
in
Bacolod Bacolod, officially the City of Bacolod (; hil, Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Bacolod; fil, Lungsod ng Bacolod), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Western Visayas, Philippines. It is the capital of the province of Negros Occidenta ...
(one of 12 cathedrals founded by the
Order of Augustinian Recollects The Order of Augustinian Recollects (OAR) is a mendicant Catholic religious order of friars and nuns. It is a reformist offshoot from the Augustinian hermit friars and follows the same Rule of St. Augustine. History The Order was founded in 16 ...
in the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
) with the
San Diego Pro-cathedral The San Diego Pro-cathedral, formerly known as the San Diego Parish Church or the St. Didacus Parish Church before its declaration as a pro-cathedral in 1994, is an early 20th-century church in Silay City, Negros Occidental in the Philippines. It ...
in
Silay Silay, officially the City of Silay ( hil, Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Silay; ceb, Dakbayan sa Silay; fil, Lungsod ng Silay), is a 3rd class component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a p ...
as the diocese's
pro-cathedral A pro-cathedral or procathedral is a parish church that temporarily serves as the cathedral or co-cathedral of a diocese, or a church that has the same function in a Catholic missionary jurisdiction (such as an apostolic prefecture or apostolic ...
. The current
bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
is Patricio Abella Buzon, SDB, appointed on 24 May 2016 and installed on August 9, 2016.


History

The Diocese of Bacolod was created by
Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City from ...
on 15 July 1932 through the apostolic constitution ''Ad Christi regnum,'' separating it from the territories of the Diocese of Cebu (Siquijor Island) and the Diocese of Jaro (Negros Island). The diocese was created in response to the growing population of the
Iglesia Filipina Independiente , native_name_lang = fil , icon = Logo of the Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan Church).svg , icon_width = 80px , icon_alt = Coat of arms of the Philippine Independent Church , image ...
, a majority of which are located in the island of Negros. Guglielmo Piani, Papal Legate to the Philippines, issued the decree of execution on 4 May 1933 and the decree of erection on 16 May. Bishop James Paul McCloskey of Jaro was appointed Apostolic Administrator while the diocese waits for its bishop. Rev. Fr. Casimiro Lladoc of the
Diocese of Nueva Caceres In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
was appointed bishop of the diocese on 23 June 1933. He arrived in Bacolod on 24 October of the same year after his episcopal consecration on 16 September. He invited more religious congregations to the diocese, established Catholic schools, led the construction and renovation of churches, including the remodelling of the San Sebastian Cathedral in 1936, and strengthened lay Catholic formation through a massive catechism drive. During his tenure, the Sacred Heart Seminary in Bacolod was established on 15 June 1946. Due to his efforts, the population of the Aglipayan church in Negros was reduced significantly. Lladoc died on 22 September 1951. Bishop Manuel Yap of the Diocese of Capiz was appointed as his successor on 16 March 1952. The bishop strengthened the diocesan seminary and the catechetical institution initiated by his predecessor. He also supported the establishment of the lay movement Barangay Sang Virgen on 16 October 1955 which now has spread nationwide, and the Chinese Catholic Association with the help of Fr. John Liu. On 5 April 1955, the Diocese of Bacolod lost territory when the
Diocese of Dumaguete The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dumaguete (Latin: ''Dioecesis Dumaguetensis''; Filipino: ''Diyosesis ng Dumaguete''; Cebuano: ''Diyosesis sa Dumaguete;'' Spanish: ''Diócesis de Dumaguete'') is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Roman Catholi ...
(which covers the entire province of
Negros Oriental Negros Oriental ( ceb, Sidlakang Negros; tl, Silangang Negros), officially the Province of Negros Oriental, is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. Its capital is the city of Dumaguete. It occupies the southeast ...
) was erected. The San Sebastian Cathedral was renovated and consecrated in the presence of the Papal Nuncio Salvatore Siino on 6 March 1960. He also addressed internal issues in the diocese by convoking a Diocesan Synod on 14-18 March 1960. Mons. Antonio Fortich, vicar general of the diocese, succeeded Yap after his death on 16 October 1966. In his tenure, he allowed the reforms of the
Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and 1 ...
in his diocese, which was limited by his conservative predecessor. This includes the new form of the Mass translated in Hiligaynon. Living up to the mandate of Pope Paul VI to him to “do something for the poor of Negros”, he convoked a Pastoral Congress in 1968, and with unanimous support from the clergy, he spoke out against the social and political abuses and injustices happening during this time in Negros in a pastoral letter. He tirelessly reached out to the poor and the oppressed and tried to breach the gap of social division. He established the Social Action Center which up to this day tends to the needs of the poor and the needy, and adopted the ''Kristianong Katilingban'' (Basic Christian Communities) in the diocese. His efforts were supported by
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
when he visited Bacolod on 21 February 1981. However, he was met with resistance, especially from the rich of Negros, when under mysterious circumstances the Bishop's House was burned in January 1985. The diocese further lost territory in parts of Negros Occidental province on 30 March 1987 when the Diocese of Kabankalan and the Diocese of San Carlos were erected. Fortich retired on January 31, 1989, after reaching the age of 75. Bishop Camilo Gregorio, auxiliary bishop of Cebu, was appointed to the Diocese of Bacolod on 20 May 1989. He attempted to continue the social pastoral program of his predecessor, however his focus was on bringing orthodoxy and spiritual renewal to the diocese. He convoked a Pastoral Congress in 1993 to meet this focus and to implement the acts and decrees of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines. The Pope John Paul Institute of Marriage and the Family was established in the diocese during his term. He also initiated the island-wide caravans for the protection of life and for the promotion of a peaceful election, and declared the San Diego Parish Church as a pro-cathedral. Bishop Gregorio was met with opposition from priests who were used to the pastoral program of Bishop Fortich. Divisions in the clergy grew due to the clash of opinions which affected the faithful of the diocese. Due to this, Bishop Gregorio resigned on 28 August 2000. He was later appointed as Prelate of Batanes in 2003. Bishop Vicente Navarra of Kabankalan was assigned as Apostolic Administrator after the latter's resignation, and subsequently as bishop of the diocese in 24 May 2001. The diocese hosted the National Youth Day in 2004 during his term. After examining the problems of the diocese, he convoked the Second Diocesan Synod on 20 January 2002 and promulgated its decrees on 20 January 2005 covering a wide range of subjects that intended to transform the diocese and the faithful, including the formalization of the Basic Ecclesiastical Communities. He led the diocese in celebrating its Diamond Jubilee in 2007 and established ADSUM, the official publication of the diocese in 2008. He was also vocal in defense of the environment and human life, especially during the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill in legislation. Prior to the 2013 elections to the Philippines Senate posters were put up at
parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities ...
es that identified the senators who voted for and against passage of the bill as Team Patay (or death) and Team Buhay (or life), respectively, in reference to Team PNoy, the senatorial slate of Philippine President
Noynoy Aquino Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...
. The
Commission on Elections An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
(COMELEC) attempted to have these posters removed, or at the least reduced in size. The
Philippine Supreme Court The Supreme Court ( fil, Kataas-taasang Hukuman; colloquially referred to as the ''Korte Suprema'' lso used in formal writing is the highest court in the Philippines. The Supreme Court was established by the Second Philippine Commission on Ju ...
issued a
temporary restraining order An injunction is a legal and equitable remedy in the form of a special court order that compels a party to do or refrain from specific acts. ("The court of appeals ... has exclusive jurisdiction to enjoin, set aside, suspend (in whole or in p ...
stopping COMELEC from forcing the removal of the posters. Navarra retired when Bishop Patricio Buzon of Kabankalan waa appointmented as his successor on 24 May 2016. During his tenure, he convoked the Second Diocesan Pastoral Assembly on 10-13 October 2017 in which the Diocese formulated its Vision-Mission Statements: the diocese being a “listening Church journeying together towards holiness”.


Coat of Arms

The shield is divided fesswise into two fields. In chief ''or'' (gold) are two arrows in saltire debruised by an upright Latin cross ''argent'' (silver), the symbols of St. Sebastian, martyr, titular of both the diocese and the cathedral of Bacolod. On a field of ''azure'' (blue) at base, the cathedral of Bacolod on a knoll ''vert'' (green) and a sugarcane stalk with vegetation to depict the major industry of Negros Occidental. The hill where the cathedral stands is called ''bakólod'' in Hiligaynon, in which the name of the city of Bacolod is derived.


Ordinaries


Affiliated Bishops

* Flaviano Barrechea Ariola † – former Vicar General, appointed Bishop of Legaspi (1952-1968) * Vicente Garrucho Salgado † – former rector of the Sacred Heart Seminary, appointed Bishop of Romblon (1988-1997) * Gerardo Alimane Alminaza – former formator of the Sacred Heart Seminary, served in the Archdiocese of Jaro, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Jaro (2008-2013) and Bishop of San Carlos (2013-present) * Louie Patalinghug Galbines – former rector of the Sacred Heart Seminary and Vicar General, appointed Bishop of Kabankalan (2018-present)


See also

*
Catholic Church in the Philippines , native_name_lang = , image = Front view of The Cathedral in Intramuros, Manila.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = , caption = Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Concepcion , abbreviation ...


References

{{authority control
Bacolod Bacolod, officially the City of Bacolod (; hil, Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Bacolod; fil, Lungsod ng Bacolod), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Western Visayas, Philippines. It is the capital of the province of Negros Occidenta ...
Bacolod Bacolod, officially the City of Bacolod (; hil, Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Bacolod; fil, Lungsod ng Bacolod), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Western Visayas, Philippines. It is the capital of the province of Negros Occidenta ...
Bacolod Bacolod, officially the City of Bacolod (; hil, Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Bacolod; fil, Lungsod ng Bacolod), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Western Visayas, Philippines. It is the capital of the province of Negros Occidenta ...
Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century Religion in Negros Occidental Bacolod