Butuan Cathedral, now a Diocesan Shrine

Butuan – Reverend Father Siegfred Dosdos read the Decree of Establishment of St. Joseph Cathedral as a Diocesan Shrine in this morning’s Pontifical Fiesta Mass.

Such declaration was approved by His Excellency Juan de Dios Pueblos, Catholic Bishop of Butuan and Parish Priest of the CathedralTo many catholic devotees of Butuan City, this is another history in the making, aside from the fact that the church in Butuan was the first church that was established in Mindanao.

Also, during the Pontifical Fiesta Mass, Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos handed over the cane of St. Joseph, which symbolises the naming of Congressman Jose Aquino II and wife Salome as the new Hermano and Hermana Mayor of the Diocesan Shrine.

Historically, the Parish Church of St. Joseph in Butuan already has its milestones to include: First Easter Mass in 1521, Mission founded by the Jesuits in 1596, Blessing First church in Mindanao in 1597, St. Joseph as Titular Patron in 1622, St. Francis de Sales as Second patron in 1792, Blessing of the old parish church in 1883, consecration of the present church in 1954, elevated cathedral by Pope Paul VI in 1967, appointed church for the great jubilee in year 2000, dedicated cathedral by Ricardo Cardinal Vidal in 2007 and now as Diocesan Shrine.

From Mindanao.com

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Bishop Jimenez retires

Bishop resigns before retirement age

MANILA, May 12, 2009—A third Filipino bishop has resigned this year before the mandated retirement age of 75. Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Auxiliary Bishop Zacharias Jimenez, 60, of the Diocese of Butuan last Thursday, May 7. Jimenez’s resignation was made by reason of Canon 401 which provides that a bishop who becomes unsuited for duties due to illness or other grave reason is “earnestly requested” to tender resignation.

In 2007, the pontiff also accepted the resignation of Bishops Jesus Cabrera of Alaminos at the age of 66 and Nestor Cariño of Legazpi at the age of 69. The bishop was born in Inabanga, Bohol on November 5, 1948. He was ordained priest on November 5, 1973. Jimenez headed Pagadian diocese in Zamboanga del Sur, also in Mindanao, before he was appointed in 2003 as auxiliary bishop of Butuan diocese, 750 kilometers south of Manila. (Roy Lagarde)

Notes: Bishop Iti Jimenez was consecrated Bishop, if I am not mistaken, in 1995 by Pope John Paul II. His consecration was a big news in Bohol. He was then assigned as Auxillary Bishop of Pagadian. In 2003, he was transferred in Butuan. According to some observers, Bishop Iti is said to head the supposed Diocese of Prosperidad in Agusan Sur but to his surprise there was no such Diocese being established. The Diocese of Butuan until today remains to include the civil provinces of Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur. Probably one of the largest in the country today. Bishop Iti ended being an Auxillary bishop of Butuan and parish priest of the Sto. Niño Shrine in Libertad, Butuan City

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Boholano Bishop says GMA to return to private life after 2010.

GMA wants private life after 2010 polls
Manila Times
16 May 2009 | 12:10 AM

By Bernice Camille V. Bauzon, Reporter

President Gloria Arroyo would leave politics for good in 2010, a Roman Catholic bishop close to her revealed on Friday. In a report published by the news website of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos disclosed that President Arroyo personally promised him last year that she would bow out of office at the end of her term next year. Elections scheduled for May 2010 will pick the Presidents successor.

Yes, she expressed it openly [to me] that [there will be] no more [politics for her after the 2010 polls]. She will live a private life [after those elections],

Pueblos said.

The Butuan bishops disclosure came amid reports that Mrs. Arroyo would run for prime minister if a parliamentary system was installed under amendments to the 1987 Constitution that supposedly are being pushed by her allies in Congress. Mere rumors, Malacaang on Thursday described such reports, including one derived from a statement of Rep. Victor Ortega of La Union and a few others supposedly fueled by the political opposition.

According to Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, the President was more concerned with generating jobs, combating poverty and improving infrastructure projects, not with staying in power beyond 2010.

Bid for premiership

Earlier, Makati City Mayor and United Opposition President Jejomar Binay said that President Arroyos supposed plans to run for a congressional seat in Pampanga province in 2010 is an open secret there. The Arroyos hail from Lubao town of the province. According to Pueblos, the country needs another leader to continue the good things that the President has done for the country.

There are many people who want to make use of her [experience] so they want her to remain in power,

he said.

But, Pueblos added, he told Mrs. Arroyo not to be swayed by the nudging of these people.

My advice to her [was for her to] not continue in power but to leave a good legacy [to the country],

the Butuan bishop said.

Born in Loon, Bohol province, Pueblos, 66, was ordained in 1985. From 1984, he was the school chaplain of Assumption College in Makati City (Metro Manila). The exclusive all-girls school, when it was still called Assumption Convent, was the high school alma mater of Mrs. Arroyo.In December 2003, Mrs. Arroyo in a speech announced that she would not be running for the presidency in order to stop the unending divisiveness in the country. But months later, in the May 2004 elections, she toppled show-business royalty Fernando Poe Jr. in a controversial win to take the highest public office in the land.

In 2001, then Vice-President Arroyo was catapulted to Malacaang by Edsa 2, a people-power revolt that ousted President Joseph Estrada over alleged plunder.Estrada was found guilty in 2007 but was later granted executive clemency by Mrs. Arroyo. He recently announced that he would again bid for the presidency in the 2010 elections if the political oppositionof which he is considered the titular headfailed to unite behind a standard-bearer.

Notes: Its only now that I know that Bishop Pueblos is a Boholano coming from Loon, Bohol. So Butuan has two Boholano prelates. Iti Jimenez from Inabanga and Bishop Pueblos from Loon. Now we know where is the Pueblos-Arroyo connection. Both of them have common Assumption connections. That is why Pueblos is really pro GMA.

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Sharmaine Basinang is Mutya Hong Butuan 2009

Photos lifted from Butuan Global Forum by Joyen