The Archdiocese of Zamboanga ordained its new auxiliary bishop on Monday, August 24, at the city’s Immaculate Conception Cathedral.
Bishop Moises Cuevas, 46, is the youngest Filipino bishop in active service.
The ordination was held with a limited number of people attending due to the prevailing community quarantine protocols because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bishop Cuevas was ordained by Archbishop Romulo Dela Cruz of Zamboanga, with Archbishop Martin Jumoad of Ozamiz and Bishop Julius Tonel of Ipil as “co-consecrators.”
In his first address as bishop, Bishop Cuevas admitted the feeling of “uncertainty and trepidation” as he took his new ecclesiastical task.
“But I take comfort that it’s not about me but about God,” said the prelate who chose “Your rod consoles me” as his episcopal motto.
The ordination was witnessed by five other bishops, dozens of priests, nuns, seminarians, and lay people.
In his homily, Bishop Ronald Lunas of Pagadian reflected on Bishop Cuevas’ episcopal motto, saying that “a bishop is a shepherd and a sheep at the same time.”
Bishop Lunas said that while a bishop takes care of the flock, a shepherd also “needs the Lord to protect and guide him.”
“A bishop is a shepherd and a sheep. Let this be now and always,” Bishop Luna said.
Bishop Cuevas, who had been serving as the Zamboanga cathedral’s parish priest, was appointed auxiliary bishop by Pope Francis in March, assigning him the titular see of Maraguia.
He is the fourth auxiliary bishop of the southern Philippine archdiocese with about a million population, about 70 percent of whom are Catholics.
Born in Batangas City, Bishop Cuevas took his philosophy studies at the Pastor Bonus Seminary in Zamboanga and theology at the Regional Major Seminary in Davao City.
He was ordained priest for the Zamboanga archdiocese in 2000 at the age of 27.
