Archbishop Oscar Cruz passes away at 85

BREAKING: Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz of Lingayen-Dagupan died today at 6:45am at the Cardinal Santo Hospital due to a lingering illness. He was 85. pic.twitter.com/nT0reHGgT6

— CBCPNews (@cbcpnews) August 26, 2020

MANILA – Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz passed away at the age of 85.

In a Twitter post, the official news website of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said Cruz died early morning on Wednesday due to a lingering illness.

“Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz of Lingayen-Dagupan died today at 6:45 a.m. at the Cardinal Santos Hospital due to a lingering illness. He was 85,” it said.

Cruz, a former president of the CBCP, retired in 2009. He was replaced by Bishop Socrates Villegas who was from the Diocese of Balanga.

Born on Nov. 17, 1934 in Balanga, Bataan, he received his seminary training at the University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary.

Cruz was ordained as a priest on Feb. 8, 1962 and his episcopal consecration was on May 3, 1976.

He served as a judicial vicar of the CBCP National Tribunal of Appeals and was appointed Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan on July 15, 1991.

Cruz was an anti-gambling advocate.