Pope Francis appoints new Zamboanga archbishop

Pope Francis has appointed a new archbishop of Zamboanga, Bishop Julius Sullan Tonel, according to Vatican News.

With this, Bishop Tonel will have to transfer from his current assignment as prelate of the Diocese of Ipil.

According to the post on Vatican News, the Archbishop-elect hails from Davao City where he also attended seminary and was ordained priest on April 20, 1980.

His first assignments were as parish vicar and Family Apostolate director.

He studied in Rome, at the Pontifical Saint Anselm Athenaeum, for a licentiate in liturgical theology.

He also served as director of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Centre and vice rector, professor, and spiritual director of the Major Regional Seminary of Davao (1992-1997). He became rector of the seminary in 1997.

He also served, from 2002 to 2007, as parish priest and vicar general of the archdiocese of Davao.

Tonel was elected bishop-prelate of Ipil on the 30th June, 2007 and was consecrated on August 20 and became ordinary with the erection of the new diocese in 2010.

He is the incumbent chairman of the Episcopal Commission for Healthcare of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. -- BAP, GMA Integrated News