Cebu priest named papal chaplain

MANILA, Philippines — Pope Francis has appointed a Filipino priest as papal chaplain.

Monsignor John Thomas Limchua of the archdiocese of Cebu has been designated spiritual servant to the papal household or papal chapel, according to a report over Radio Veritas.

In July, Limchua was designated official of the Section for Relations with States, which is under the Secretariat of State in the Holy See.

The appointment of Limchua is an indication that Pope Francis is pleased with his service to the Pope and the Catholic Church, according to archdiocese of Cebu spokesman Monsignor Joseph Tan.

Limchua began his diplomatic service in September 2014. He served at the apostolic nunciature in Benin and Togo in West Africa as well as in Egypt.

He completed his theological studies at the University of Navarre in Pamplona, Spain and took his doctorate in Canon Law at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.

Limchua was ordained in Cebu in 2010. He underwent diplomatic formation at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, the Vatican school for diplomats.

Two other Cebu-based priests are part of the Vatican’s diplomatic service. They are Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla, the Apostolic Nuncio emeritus to South Korea and his brother Archbishop Francisco Padilla of the Apostolic Nuncio to Guatemala.