About 40 priests in the Archdiocese of Cebu will be reshuffled before the end of July to “inject new blood and energy.”
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said the reassignment of diocesan priests started in November last year, continued in February this year, and will resume this month.
The change is not meant to demote or promote a priest but to continue the mission of the Church, he said.
“When we assign a priest in a particular parish, we are considering the good of the community. That is the number one reason. Second, we also take into consideration the good of the priest,” Palma explained.
There are 387 diocesan priests in the Archdiocese of Cebu.
Churches with a large number of parishioners will have a “team ministry” composed of three priests with one acting as a team moderator instead of designating a parish priest.
“If a priest stays in a parish for 20 years, sometimes when he has just started his homily, the people already know the ending because they have been hearing it for 20 years already,” the archbishop said.
“But when you’re in a new place, there is really that new enthusiasm.”
Palma said even officials of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) serve for a specific period.
“The CBCP president serves for two years. The head of the comissions serve for six years. After that, whether you are performing good or very good, you are changed. (Let’s) give others a chance. The spirit of reshuffling is also like that,” he said. Palma served one term as CPCP president. / with Le-an Lacaba UPV Intern