IN his second episcopal appointment in the Philippines, Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday appointed Bishop Alberto Uy of Tagbilaran as the new archbishop of Cebu.
Uy will succeed Archbishop Jose Palma, whose resignation was accepted by the pope.
Palma turned 75 on March 19, the age at which bishops are required to submit their resignation. He served as Cebu archbishop for about 14 years.
At 58, Uy becomes the fifth archbishop of Cebu.
Born in Ubay, Bohol, he studied philosophy at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Tagbilaran City and theology at St. John Mary Vianney Theological Seminary in Cagayan de Oro City, where he earned a master’s degree in pastoral ministry.
Ordained a priest for the Diocese of Talibon in 1993, he held several roles in the diocese. He also holds a licentiate in sacred theology from the Loyola School of Theology in Quezon City.
From 2002 to 2006, Uy studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, earning a doctorate in sacred theology.
Pope Francis appointed Uy bishop of Tagbilaran in October 2016. He formally assumed leadership of the diocese on Jan. 6, 2017, one day after his episcopal ordination.
Cebu, known as the “cradle of Christianity in the Philippines,” is home to about 4.7 million Catholics in more than 170 parishes.
As of 2023, the archdiocese was served by 375 diocesan clergy and 278 religious priests.
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