Resignation of archbishop of Antequera, Oaxaca, Mexico, and appointment of successor

Appointment of bishop of Mati, Philippines

Resignation of archbishop of Antequera, Oaxaca, Mexico, and appointment of successor

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Antequera, Oaxaca, Mexico, presented by H.E. Msgr. José Luis Chávez Botello.

The Holy Father has appointed as metropolitan archbishop of Antequera, Oaxaca,Mexico, H.E. Msgr. Pedro Vázquez Villalobos, bishop of Puerto Escondido.

H.E. Msgr. Pedro Vázquez Villalobos

H.E. Msgr. Pedro Vázquez Villalobos was born on 16 September 1950 in Huisquilco, Jalisco, now the diocese of San Juan de los Lagos. He was ordained a priest for the same diocese on 15 April 1975.

He has held the following offices: parish vicar, pastor of the parishes of San Agustín in Tototlán (1990-1996) and Santa Maria Guadalupe in Arandas (1996-2010), coordinator of the Asistencia y Seguro Social para los sacerdotes diocesanos Fraternity and, since 2010, vicar general. He is also a member of the presbyteral council and of the college of consultors.

On 31 October 2012 he was appointed as bishop of Puerto Escondido, receiving episcopal consecration on 30 January 2013.

Within the Episcopal Conference he is currently responsible for the Dimension for care of bishops emeritus, as part of the Episcopal Commission for intra-ecclesial solidarity.

Appointment of bishop of Mati, Philippines

The Holy Father has appointed as bishop of Mati, Philippines, the Rev. Msgr. Abel C. Apigo of the clergy of the archdiocese of Davao, currently rector of the major regional seminary of Saint Francis Xavier of Davao.

H.E. Msgr. Abel C. Apigo

H.E. Msgr. Abel C. Apigo was born in Calinan, Davao City, in the archdiocese of Davao, on 21 May 1968. After high school and courses in philosophy and theology at the Saint Francis Xavier Seminary of Davao, he obtained a licentiate in Church history from the Pontifical Gregorian Univesity, Rome, in 2000.

He was ordained a priest for the archdiocese of Davao on 18 April 1994.

He was subsequently parish vicar in the Cathedral of San Pedro (1994-1996), pastoral director (1996-1997), professor (2000-2001), coordinator (2001-2002), vice-rector and dean (2002-2006) of the Saint Francis Xavier Seminary of Davao.

In 2006 he became rector of the same seminary and, in 2014, episcopal vicar for the clergy of the diocese.