Hundreds of people turned out to pay their last respects to the country’s oldest Catholic bishop on Monday, February 1, in the Diocese of Virac, south of Manila.
Bishop Jose Crisologo Sorra, who served the diocese as its first prelate for nearly two decades and bishop emeritus of Legazpi, died on January 21 at the age of 91.
The prelate was buried in the basement of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Virac City, province of Catanduanes.
More than 100 priests and seven bishops concelebrated the funeral Mass that was led by Archbishop Rolando Tria Tirona of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Caceres.
Archbishop Tirona described the late prelate as very active and who had “many firsts.” He led his flock to fulfil the mission of building the Church of the poor in the peripheries,” said the archbishop.
“Of all the good things that we are saying about Bishop Sorra, one thing is certain, that he is a son of God who dedicated his life serving the least and the most vulnerable,” said Archbishop Tirona.
Bishop Sorra was the first chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Youth of the bishops’ conference.
He was ordained priest on March 17, 1957, and was appointed bishop of Virac on May 27, 1974.
After 19 years, he was named bishop of the Diocese Legazpi on March 1, 1993, until his retirement on April 1, 2005.
