POPE Francis appointed Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Oscar Florencio as the concurrent apostolic administrator of the Military Ordinariate.
“The appointment is concurrent, so he will both serve as military administrator and at the same time continue to function as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Cebu, said Fr. Zenon Guanzon, the private secretary of Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.
Florencio, a 51-year-old native of Capoocan town in Leyte, will serve as administrator of the Military Ordinariate while waiting for the Holy Father to appoint a permanent military bishop. He temporarily replaces Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak, who died last June 17 after battling pancreatic cancer.
The Military Ordinariate is a personal diocese for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard.
It has jurisdiction over all military, police and coast guard personnel, their dependents, and the civilian employees of all branches of the Armed Forces. Florencio was ordained priest on April 3, 1990.
He completed his studies in philosophy at the Sacred Heart Seminary in Palo, and theology at the University of Sto. Tomas in Manila.