A Catholic diocese in Mindanao mourned the death of Bishop Camillo Ballin of Northern Arabia, and praised the Italian prelate for his “magnanimous heart”.
In a letter sent to the vicariate, Bishop Jose Rapadas of Iligan offered his condolences for the demise of the “merciful and compassionate” bishop.
“We express our heartfelt condolences and oneness in your sorrow for losing a very good friend and brother in faith,” Bishop Rapadas said in a report published by CBCP News.
Ballin, who had been suffering from lung cancer and was under treatment in Italy, died on Easter Sunday. He was 75.
The diocese’s relationship with Ballin started after typhoon “Sendong” devastated the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro in 2011.
Ballin, a Comboni missionary and the first apostolic vicar of Northern Arabia, was among those who “generously” sent aid for those who were displaced by the typhoon.
