Vatican rejects Rosales' resignation as Manila bishop

The Vatican has rejected the resignation of Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, who will reach the mandatory retirement age of 75 on Friday. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for the Bishops, told the Apostolic Nunciature in the Philippines that Pope Benedict XIV still wanted Cardinal Rosales to keep his position. Re said the Pope invited Rosales “to continue in (his) ministry ‘donec aliter provideatur’ (unless otherwise provided for)." Church canon requires bishops to submit their resignation to the Pope when they turn 75, the retirement age for the bishops. In his resignation letter submitted last June 10, Rosales thanked the Holy See and “the Holy Mother, the Church for having granted me the privilege of serving the Church as Bishop." Rosales said in his letter that his decision to tendered his resignation was to “allow the proper selection of the Archbishop who will succeed" him. Rosales, ordained as a priest in 1958, was appointed Manila Archbishop in 2003. He replaced Jaime Cardinal Sin, who died in 2005. An advance mass for Rosales’ birthday was held on Wednesday with Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, delivering the homily and paying tribute to “Cardinal Dency" as “someone who has offered a new vision not only for Manila but also for the Philippines." Vidal himself turned 75 more than a year ago and had also been invited by the Pope to continue with his ministry. -GMANews.TV