Sofronio Aguirre Bancud (born December 8, 1948) is a Filipino

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

of the

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who served as the Bishop of Cabanatuan from 2004 to 2024. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the same diocese from 2001 to 2004.

Early life and education

Bancud was born on December 8, 1948, in Atulayan Norte,

Tuguegarao City Tuguegarao ( or ), officially the City of Tuguegarao (; ; ; ), is a 2nd class component city and capital of the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 166,334 people, making it the most populous c ...

Cagayan Cagayan ( ), officially the Province of Cagayan (; ; ; isnag language, Isnag: ''Provinsia nga Cagayan''; ivatan language, Ivatan: ''Provinsiya nu Cagayan''; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Cag ...

, to Antonio Bancud and Soledad Aguirre. He completed his elementary education at St. Paul University and his secondary studies at

Cagayan State University Cagayan State University (known as CSU), was established through a Presidential Decree No. 1436 CSU have a nine satellite campus and 2 extension Campus which Nestled in a Prominent three Congessional Districts of Cagayan, each campus headed ...

, both located in Tuguegarao City. In 1969, he earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the

University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (UST; ), officially the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines or colloquially as ''Ustê'' (), is a Private university, private Catholic school, Catholic researc ...

in Manila. He later joined the

Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (), commonly known as the Sacramentinos, is a Catholic Church, Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men, founded by Peter Julian Eymard. Its members use the postnominal lette ...

and made his religious profession on December 9, 1972. He pursued theological studies at St. Francis Xavier Regional Seminary in

Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao, is a City of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the List of Philippine cities and municipalities ...

, where he obtained a licentiate in Sacred Theology in 1977. He also pursued further formation through the Summer Institute of Spirituality at Notre Dame de Vie in Quezon City in 1978, the Institute for Formative Spirituality at the Emmaus Center in Marikina City from 1983 to 1985, and the Sabbatical Program at the Hesburgh Center for Continuing Formation in Ministry in Chicago, Illinois, in 1999.

Priesthood

After his ordination on May 2, 1977, he served as Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Davao City from 1977 to 1980. During this period, he was also Postulant Director of the Blessed Sacrament Community in Davao. From 1980 to 1988, and again from 1989 to 1993, he served as Novice Master of the Blessed Sacrament Novitiate in San Jose del Monte City,

Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan (; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on ...

. He was Scholastic Director from 1988 to 1989 and served as Parish Administrator of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Davao City in 1989. He was also Assistant Regional Superior of the Our Lady of the Assumption Region of the congregation in the Philippines from 1981 to 1993. From 1983 to 1993, he was a member of the International Formation Commission of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. He was elected General Consultor of the SSS General Curia in Rome, Italy, where he served from 1993 to 1999. In 2000, he returned to the Philippines and became Superior of the Blessed Sacrament Community in Sta. Cruz, Manila.

Episcopal ministry

On May 24, 2001,

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Cabanatuan and Titular Bishop of Bida. He received episcopal consecration on August 2, 2001, with Archbishop Antonio Franco as principal consecrator. Following the death of Bishop Sofio G. Balce Jr., he was appointed Bishop of Cabanatuan on November 6, 2004, and installed on January 25, 2005, in solemn rites held at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Cathedral in Cabanatuan City. Within the

Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (abbreviated as CBCP) is the permanent organizational assembly of the Catholic bishops of the Philippines exercising together certain pastoral offices for the Christian faithful of their terr ...

(CBCP), Bishop Bancud held several key roles over the years. He served as Chairman of the Permanent Committee on International Eucharistic Congresses from 2007 to 2013, and represented Luzon Central in the CBCP Permanent Council from 2013 to 2015. From 2015 to 2021, he served as Chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Biblical Apostolate (ECBA), overseeing national biblical pastoral initiatives and Scripture engagement among dioceses. On December 8, 2024, the second Sunday of

Advent Advent is a season observed in most Christian denominations as a time of waiting and preparation for both the celebration of Jesus's birth at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Chri ...

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

accepted his resignation in accordance with

canon law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

and appointed Prudencio Andaya Jr., Vicar Apostolic of Tabuk, as his successor.

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