MANILA (UCAN): The Congregation for the Causes of Saints has approved the ‘heroic virtues’ of the late Cebuano Archbishop Teofilo Camomot, who was auxiliary bishop of Jaro, Iloilo, the Philippines, 1955 to 1958, then co-adjutor archbishop of Cagayan de Oro, until his resignation in 1970. He died in a car crash while on the way to his hometown of Carcar, Cebu, in 1988.
He was noted for his dedication to pastoral duties, prayer and charitable work.
On November 11, the Archdiocese of Cebu announced that the Vatican congregation had voted unanimously to advance the process of examination of the archbishop’s life.
“The Archdiocese of Cebu has been notified that the Theological Commission of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican gave a unanimous affirmative vote [nine out of nine] to the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Archbishop Teofilo Camomot,” it announced in a Facebook post.
“With this favourable outcome, the cause of beatification and canonisation of Bishop Camomot will be forwarded for further examination to the Commission of Bishops and Cardinals … Upon completion of their study, the cause will be presented to the Holy Father for his approval. Then, Bishop Camomot will be considered venerable.”
Venerable is the title bestowed on a deceased person in the first of three stages leading to beatification with the title Blessed and canonisation with the title Saint.
Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu, called on all Catholics in Cebu and the Philippines for prayers for the next stages of the sainthood process.
He reminded people not to invoke “for now” the name of the archbishop in their prayers as if he were already a saint or blessed of the Catholic Church.
Catholics in Cebu hope Archbishop Camomot will become the island’s second saint.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
The first was San Pedro Calungsod, who embarked on a Spanish mission to the Marianas Islands in 1672 with Jesuit missionary Father Diego Luis San Vitores. They were martyred on Cebu for baptising natives and were canonised by Pope Benedict XVI on 21 October 2012.
In October 2010, a group of religious sisters in Cebu formally petitioned for the opening of a cause for beatification and canonisation of Archbishop Camomot for living a life “full of virtue.”
The petition was supported by the late Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, then the archbishop of Cebu.
