BY LESLIE ANN AQUINO
Former Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and retired Lingayen Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, one of the leading voices in the advocacy against illegal gambling in the country, passed away on Wednesday. He was 85.
In a statement, Lingayen Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said the prelate died at 6:45 at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City, due to multi organ failure caused by critical COVID19 infection.
“Following health protocols, his mortal remains will be cremated immediately,” he said.
Villegas said the cremated remains will be brought to the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist in Dagupan City, where the Catholic faithful may pay their respects to the late archbishop on August 27 from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Masses will be celebrated by the diocesan and religious clergy of Lingayen Dagupan the whole day, he said.
The funeral Mass will be held on August 28, at 9 a.m. also at the cathedral.
Cruz’ remains will then be laid to rest at the Santuario de San Juan Evangelista right after the mass.
Villegas said in adherence to prevailing health protocols, only the “priests and bishops together with the Archbishop’s family, will be in attendance at the funeral Mass.”
“We encourage the Catholic faithful to follow the liturgical rites on social media livestream,” he said.
Born on November 17, 1934 in Balanga, Bataan, Philippines, Cruz received his seminary training at the University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary, and further theology studies at the Lateran University.
He was ordained priest in 1962 and became bishop in 1976. He was the first Filipino rector of San Carlos Seminary of the Archdiocese of Manila.
Cruz was first assigned as Auxiliary Bishop of Manila until 1978, then as Archbishop of San Fernando, Pampanga from 1978- 1988, and later as Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan from 1991- 2009.
The prelate served as CBCP President from 1995 to 1999.
