Pope Francis creates new PH diocese, appoints its first bishop

Pope Francis has approved the creation of a new diocese in the Agusan region and its first bishop, according to a post on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website.

The Diocese of Properidad will include the province of Agusan del Sur. And, its first bishop is the current auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Cebu - Ruben Labajo.

Butuan Bishop Cosme Damian Almedilla filed a petition in 2023 on the creation of the new diocese that would be independent from the Diocese of Butuan, which only includes Agusan del Norte.

The Diocese of Prosperidad will be the country’s 87th diocese and will be a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, according to the CBCP report.

Bishop Labajo, 58, was appointed him as auxiliary bishop of Cebu in June 2022 and was ordained to the episcopate on Aug. 19, 2022. — BAP, GMA Integrated News