Zamboanga City thanks Pope Francis for appointing new archbishop

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The Zamboanga City government and residents thanked Pope Francis for appointing the soft-spoken Bishop Romulo dela Cruz as the city's new archbishop.

City officials welcomed Bishop Dela Cruz an experienced prelate who worked before in Basilan. 

Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said they are also writing a letter to Pope Francis hoping when the pontiff comes to the Philippines he will be able to visit the oldest diocese in Zamboanga, the mother diocese of Mindanao, “in order to provide more inspiration.”

Bishop De la Cruz, who is assigned in Kidapawan, was appointed by Pope Francis last Saturday. The seat was vacant since February 2012 after Bishop Romulo Valles was transferred to Davao.

“With his presence in the city of Zamboanga, we look up to him as a shepherd of the people in crisis, in mourning and in pain. We pray that his coming in the city of Zamboanga will take us to new hope,” Climaco-Salazar said, citing the September siege crisis that put the city residents into trauma and fear.

Salazar said Bishop Dela Cruz is nothing new to the city as he was once assigned in Basilan and even became witness in the abduction of martyred priest Fr. Rhoel Gallardo, who was abducted along with close to a hundred others, including teachers and students from Claret School in Tumahubong, Sumisip town in 2000.