Manila: Pope Leo XIV on Saturday accepted the retirement of Diocese of Para±aque Bishop Jesse Mercado. Mercado has reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 years for bishops.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) reported that Papal Nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown announced the decision during a Mass for Mercado's birthday at San Agustin Parish Church in Para±aque City. At the same time, the Vatican Representative said the Holy Father has appointed Bishop Elias Ayuban Jr. of Cubao as apostolic administrator sede vacante (the seat being vacant) of Para±aque. Ayuban will be the caretaker of the diocese until a new bishop is installed.
Mercado was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Manila on March 19, 1977. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Manila on Feb. 25, 1997, and was ordained to the episcopate on March 31 of the same year. On Dec. 7, 2002, he was named the first bishop of the newly created Diocese of Para±aque and formally assumed office on Jan. 28, 2003. He also served as chair of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on the Laity and the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life and rector of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino, a college for diocesan priests from the Philippines studying at pontifical universities in Rome.
