Filipino prelate named bishop of Papua New Guinea diocese

Filipino prelate named bishop of Papua New Guinea diocese (Photo: Peter Baquero/Facebook)

MANILA—Another Philippine-born prelate has been appointed by the Vatican to lead a diocese in another country.

Pope Francis named Fr. Pedro Baquero as the new bishop of Kerema, Papua New Guinea on Friday.

According to an article posted on the Vatican Radio website, the 46-year old Philippine-born Superior of the Salesian Vice-province of Papua New Guinea–Solomon ‎Islands will lead the diocese, which has been without a bishop since April 29, 2013, ‎after the death of Bishop Patrick Taval. ‎

The priest was born in the Philippines on September 15, 1970.

After his primary and ‎secondary school with the Salesians Pampanga‎, he entered the Salesian novitiate in 1989 and made his ‎first profession the following year and perpetual profession in 1998.

In 1999, he was ordained a priest after he completed his philosophy ‎and theology studies in Manila.

From the period of his practical ‎training, he followed the missionary vocation ad gentes and worked in Papua New Guinea in various ‎capacities.

Pedro served as the Salesian Superior Delegate of Papua New Guinea – Solomon Islands ‎from 2014-2016, until the Salesian jurisdiction was raised to the rank of Salesian Vice-province, of ‎which he was appointed the Superior.

Earlier, the Holy Father appointed another Filipino, Bishop Oscar Solis, as new head of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, Utah in the United States of America (USA).

He was born in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija on Oct. 13, 1953 and was ordained priest for the Diocese of Cabanatuan on April 28, 1979.

Solis is the first Filipino to head a US diocese.