Bishop Leopodo Tumulak of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines died at 1:05 p.m. on Saturday after battling pancreatic cancer.
He was 72.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing away of Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak. Kindly offer prayers and masses for his eternal repose,” said Bishop Alberto Uy of the Diocese of Tagbilaran where Tumulak once served.
His last assignment, the Military Ordinariate, is a personal diocese for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police, and the Philippine Coast Guard.
Tumulak has jurisdiction over all military, police and coast guard personnel, their dependents, and the civilian employees of all branches of the armed forces.
Tumulak was born in Santander town, south Cebu on September 29, 1944.
He went to Mainit Primary School and Santander Elementary School for his primary and elementary education respectively before he studied high school in St. Mary’s Academy.
Tumulak went on to study Philosophy in Seminario Menor de San Carlos and Theology in Seminario Mayor de San Carlos in Cebu City.
He also took up masteral studies in Educational Administration at the Colegio de San Jose Recoletos, now the University of San Jose Recoletos in Cebu City.
On March 30, 1970, Tumulak was ordained priest. The late pope and now St. John Paul II appointed him as auxiliary bishop of Cebu in 1987. He also served as former rector of the Pope John XXIII Seminary in Cebu City.
Five years later, he was named Bishop of Tagbilaran.
In January 2005, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Tumulak as bishop of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines.
Fr. Charles Jayme, one of the professors of the San Carlos Seminary College in Cebu City, called on the people to intercede for Tumulak.
“Please pray for the eternal repose of Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak. He is a Cebuano by birth and by blood,” he said.
Colonel Medel Aguilar, assistant chief of the unified staff for civil military operations for the Cebu-based AFP Central Command, said they are hoping that Tumulak will intercede for the soldiers, especially those who continue to go after the terrorists in Mawari City.
“We thank him for serving us. As we pray for him, we pray that he too will pray for all the soldiers,” he told the Inquirer over the phone.