Archbishop Jose Palma. (Photo: UCAN files)
Feb 14 2023
Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu as a member of the newly-established Dicastery for Culture and Education.
“This symbolized the pope’s trust not only in the archbishop but in every Filipino,” Cebu Archdiocese said in a statement while announcing the appointment on Feb. 12.
The dicastery under the Roman Curia was formed through the merger of the Congregation for Catholic Education and the former Pontifical Council for Culture, where Archbishop Palma previously served as a member.
The dicastery works to promote culture and enhance cultural heritage. Its education section deals with fundamental principles of education regarding Catholic and ecclesiastical institutions, as published Church documents show.
Some priests in the archdiocese said Archbishop Palma would serve as the voice of minorities in the Vatican.
“There are so many cultural minorities in the Philippines. We hope Archbishop Palma will bring to the body his experience with cultural minorities here,” Father Mhar Balili from the archdiocese told reporters.
The dicastery is headed by Portuguese Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, who was appointed as its prefect last September.
A group of catechists in the capital Manila praised the pope for appointing Archbishop Palma.
With his experience, the Vatican can now put forth guidelines for cultural minorities, Manila catechist Silvia Paredes told UCA News
“We need to disseminate faith by opening doors of culture,” Paredes said.
A human rights group fighting for indigenous people urged the archbishop to highlight the abuses of the Lumads, an indigenous people in Mindanao, whose ancestral lands are allegedly grabbed by private corporations.
“Our Lumads are continuously deprived of their ancestral lands. Certainly, they need to be protected,” James Cruz, a member of Karapatan, an alliance of human rights organizations, told UCA News.
Archbishop Palma has been heading the country’s biggest archdiocese since Oct. 15, 2010, replacing the late Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, who served as Cebu’s archbishop for 29 years.
Earlier, Archbishop Palma served as vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines from Dec. 1, 2009, to July 11, 2011. – UCA News
