New Era Begins: Jaro’s 14th Archbishop to Be Enthroned on April 2

The Archdiocese of Jaro in Iloilo is set to welcome its 14th archbishop, Midyphill Billones, in a grand ceremony on April 2 at the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral. Billones, previously the auxiliary bishop of Cebu since 2019, steps into the role following the retirement of Archbishop Jose Lazo at the age of 76. Pope Francis officially accepted Lazo’s resignation on February 2 and promptly appointed Billones as his successor. In a touching tribute, the archdiocese will also honor Lazo’s 50 years of priestly service with a special Mass at the cathedral the day before Billones’ installation. Lazo, who was ordained in the Diocese of San Jose de Antique in 1975, served as bishop of Kalibo starting in 2003 before moving to Jaro in 2018.