Vatican names new Nueva Ecija bishop

MANILA, Philippines — Pope Leo XIV has named the rector of the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay City as the new bishop of Nueva Ecija, ending an eight-month wait for a church leader in the diocese.

According to CBCPNews, Fr. Samuel Agcaracar will be ordained as bishop on Jan. 17 at the Holy Spirit Chapel in Tagaytay. The date of installation as head of the Diocese of San Jose is yet to be announced.

The 56-year-old Agcaracar will replace Bishop Roberto Mallari who was transferred to the Diocese of Tarlac.

“My wish and prayer is that they accept me as I am. I go there with an open heart – to listen, journey with them and accompany them as Church,” Agcaracar said in a message to the Diocese of San Jose.

Agcaracar, who comes from a farming family, believes that his appointment to the diocese is providential, noting that farmers are among the marginalized sectors.

As seminary rector, Agcaracar founded the Laudato Si Farm – a project that promotes ecotourism, eco-spirituality and sustainable organic farming.

“It (Laudato Si) helped me reconnect with my passion for farming and my advocacy to empower our farmers. They are among those in the margins of society,” Agcaracar said.

Nueva Ecija, in central Luzon, is one of the country’s major rice-producing regions.