Cardinal Vidal Hands Over Staff to Successor

CEBU City, Jan. 14, 2011—In his last official act as Archbishop of Cebu, Ricardo Cardinal Vidal installed his successor, 60 year old Archbishop Jose Palma in solemn ceremonies on January 13, as the new shepherd of Cebu’s nearly 4 million Catholic faithful.

Together with Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales, Cardinal Vidal accompanied Archbishop Palma to his cathedra and handed over the staff amid loud applause from the congregation.

Looking at the event as a “new beginning”, Vidal said his 29 years of shepherding the archdiocese became bearable because of the close collaboration of the clergy and laity.

“With pride in my eyes, I saw Cebuanos grew and matured in faith,” the Archbishop of Cebu for 29 years said in a message.

Addressing the clergy, the prelate said his priests’ faith strengthened his faith as they relied on each other for sustenance.

He said the relationship between the archbishop and priests only affirms “that the Lord is our Shepherd and us, as stewards.”

The cardinal also recognized the efforts of past and present auxiliary bishops, the priests and the laity. He also expressed his thanks to his collaborators, the local and national government leaders, the military, members of the judiciary and the media for making his burden significantly lighter.

Expressing his all out support to the new archbishop, he asked the clergy and the faithful to “walk with your new shepherd.”

The Apostolic Letter was read in Latin by the Nunciature’s First Secretary Rev. Msgr. Giorgio Chezza and later translated into Cebuano.

Concelebrating with the new archbishop were Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales and Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Edward Joseph Adams and some 70 other archbishops and bishops. (Melo Acuna/CBCPNews)