New Tagbilaran bishop vows transparency, urges sustainable development

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — Bishop Crispin “Bai” Barrete Varquez pledged transparency and accountability in managing the Church’s resources as he was formally installed as the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at the St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral-Shrine.

“Let us continue to become transparent and accountable in our management of the financial and temporal goods of the Church,” Varquez said after his installation.

He also urged Boholanos to embrace progress without sacrificing their faith, values and cultural identity, warning that the province’s extraordinary natural beauty, culture and traditions could be threatened by tourism and economic development.

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READ: Boholano priest named as 8th Bishop of Tagbilaran

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“Let tourism respect our environment. Let economic growth protect the dignity of our workers and the local community,” he said.

Varquez, who struggled to hold back tears, acknowledged the emotional challenge of leaving the Diocese of Borongan in Eastern Samar, where he served as bishop for nearly 19 years.

Addressing the Diocese of Tagbilaran, where he began his priestly ministry, he asked the faithful to welcome him as their new shepherd.

“My diocese of origin. Please allow me to journey with you. Allow me to walk with you. And most of all, allow me to love you,” he said.

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The installation Mass was attended by Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula Jr., with Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Archbishop Charles Brown, Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy and other bishops, priests and laymen from Eastern Samar and Bohol. 

In his homily, Advincula emphasized the importance of humility and simplicity in a bishop’s mission, urging Varquez to remain focused on Christ.

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“Simplicity means having a heart that is not complex, a heart that is not complicated by desires and attachments that pull it apart because it is a heart that belongs only to Jesus. A heart that focuses always on Jesus. In other words, simplicity means having a heart that is solely devoted to the love of Jesus,” Advincula said.

READ: Pope Leo accepts ordination withdrawal of Tagbilaran bishop-elect

Brown, meanwhile, reminded Varquez that a bishop must stand with the poor and defend their dignity.

A bishop’s responsibility, he said, includes lifting up the poor in his diocese, fighting for them, protecting them and serving as their defender.

Uy stressed that leading a diocese is a collective mission that requires the participation of the entire faith community.

“A bishop cannot shepherd alone. The journey of a diocese is always a journey together,” Uy said.

“My prayer for you, Bishop Bai, is simple. May Tagbilaran become a better Church, because you became its bishop. And may you become a better shepherd because Tagbilaran was entrusted to you. Welcome home, Bishop Bai,” he added.

At least 1,000 people attended the ceremony, as parishioners welcomed Varquez following a year-long vacancy in the leadership of the diocese.

Among those present was 10-year-old Mary Celyn Acenita, who attended with her grandmother, Precy. She brought an image of God the Father of All Mankind and held it aloft throughout the ceremony.

“May the Lord bless our new shepherd,” she said.

Returning to his roots

Born on Dec. 5, 1960, in Sevilla, Bohol, Varquez studied philosophy at the Immaculate Heart Seminary in Tagbilaran City and theology at St. Augustine Major Seminary in Tagaytay City.

He was ordained priest for the Diocese of Tagbilaran on April 14, 1989. He later pursued postgraduate studies in seminary formation in Cebu City and family counseling at the Center for Family Ministry of Ateneo de Manila University.

Varquez served as a seminary formator at the Immaculate Heart Seminary in Bohol for four years and at St. Augustine Major Seminary in Tagaytay for five years.

He subsequently held several positions in the Diocese of Tagbilaran, including vicar general, before Pope Benedict XVI appointed him bishop of Borongan in August 2007.

He was ordained bishop at the Tagbilaran Cathedral on Oct. 18, 2007, and installed as bishop of Borongan on Nov. 8 of the same year.

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His installation as the eighth bishop of Tagbilaran marks his return to the diocese where he began his priestly ministry. The Diocese of Tagbilaran was established in 1941. INQ