A group of Vatican theologians has unanimously approved the “heroic virtues” of the late Archbishop Teofilo Camomot this week, said the Archdiocese of Cebu in a social media post.
“Thanks be to God!” read a post on the archdiocese’s Facebook page on Wednesday, November 10.
The announcement said that it has been notified that the Theological Commission of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican has given a “unanimous affirmative vote” for the “heroic virtues of the Servant of God.”
“With this favorable outcome, the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of Bishop Camomot will be forwarded for further examination to the Commission of Bishops and Cardinals of the said Congregation,” it added.
It said that upon completion of a study, the cause for sainthood will then be presented to the Holy Father for approval.
Early this week, the archdiocese called on the faithful to pray for the success of the process of sainthood of Archbishop Camomot.
The panel of theologians met in Rome on Tuesday, November 9, to discuss the “positio” of the late archbishop.
A “positio” is a document or collection of documents used in the process by which a person is declared Venerable, the second of the four steps on the path to canonization as a saint.
If Archbishop Camomot is declared “Venerable” a miracle will be needed to start the “beatification process” of the former prelate of Cebu.
Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu, meanwhile, reminded the faithful “not to invoke yet” the intentions of Archbishop Camomot, like “Archbishop Teofilo Camomot, Pray for us,” until he is canonized as a saint.
In July last year, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints approved the “positio” for the cause of sainthood of the late archbishop of Cebu.
On Nov. 9, 2017, the Vatican approved the diocesan process for the cause of sainthood of Archbishop Camomot that started in October 2015.
Archbishop Camomot was born in Cogon, Carcar, Cebu, on March 3, 1914, to Luis and Angela Bastida. He was the third child of eight children.
He underwent seminary formation at the Seminario Mayor de San Carlos in Cebu City and was ordained a priest on Dec. 15, 1940.
After ordination, he was assigned in different parishes until he was appointed parish priest of Sta. Teresa Parish in Talisay, Cebu, in 1943.
According to accounts, he lived a simple and austere life. Before celebrating Mass he would visit sick parishioners and attend to their needs.
After serving the parish for 12 years, he was named titular bishop of Marcianopolis and auxiliary bishop of Jaro, Iloilo, on March 26, 1955.
In 1959, he became co-adjutor archbishop of Cagayan de Oro and appointed parish priest of Sta. Rita, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental province.
He founded the Carmelite Tertiaries of the Blessed Eucharist, today known as the Daughters of Saint Teresa, in Misamis Oriental.
Archbishop Camomot attended the Second Vatican Council from 1962 through 1965.
He resigned as co-adjutor archbishop on June 16, 1968, due to a kidney problem and went back to Cebu in 1970.
He became auxiliary bishop of Cardinal Julio Rosales who appointed him parish priest of El Pardo in Cebu City.
On Feb. 19, 1976, he was named parish priest of Carcar, Cebu, his hometown while also serving the archdiocese in other areas of responsibilities.
He died on his way back to his parish in a car crash in San Fernando, Cebu, on Sept. 27, 1988.
The remains of Archbishop Camomot were exhumed on Jan. 3, 2018, for forensic examination as part of the process for sainthood.
