Pope Francis appoints missionary as new Romblon bishop

Pope Francis early last week appointed a missionary as the new bishop for Romblon diocese, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines said.

The CBCP said the Vatican announced the appointment of Fr. Narciso Abellana, of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, as Romblon bishop at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Manila.

"The bishop-elect is currently the chaplain of the Central Luzon State University in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija," the CBCP said on its news site.

No date has been set yet for Abellana's installation.

Abellana will succeed Bishop Jose Corazon Tala-oc, who was transferred to Aklan Diocese in July 2011.

He will also be Romblon’s fifth bishop after it became a diocese in December 1974.

The CBCP said Abellana was ordained on December 28, 1978 and has been a missionary for nearly 35 years.

Abellana took his theological studies at the Loyola School of Theology and earned his Licentiate in Church History at the Gregorian University in Rome. — LBG, GMA News