Pope Names Cardinal Rosales Pasig Apostolic Administrator

MANILA, Dec. 22, 2010 Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales has been appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Pasig by Pope Benedict XVI upon the resignation of Pasig Bishop Francisco San Diego.

Cardinal Rosales’ appointment, which was announced on December 21 at 12:00 noon in Rome (7 p.m. local time), is concurrent with his being Archbishop of Manila.

The pope has accepted the resignation of Bishop San Diego who turned 75 on October 10, 2010.

San Diego’s resignation is in accordance with Canon. 401, paragraph 1 of the Code of Canon Law which requires bishops to tender their resignation upon reaching the mandatory age of 75.

The prelate has been bishop of Pasig for the past seven years.

Ordained bishop on August 10, 1983, San Diego served as Coadjutor Apostolic Vicar of Palawan from 1983 to 1987 and Apostolic Vicar from 1987 to 1995.

He was appointed second bishop of San Pablo Diocese in 1995, succeeding Bishop Pedro Bantigue.

In 2003, Pope John Paul II named San Diego as first bishop of Pasig when the Archdiocese of Manila was subdivided to form the three new dioceses of Pasig, Kalookan and Cubao. (CBCPNews)