Ex-CBCP president Archbishop Capalla dies at 89

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 7) — Archbishop Fernando Capalla, former president of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), passed away on Saturday at the age of 89, the Archdiocese of Davao announced.

He served as CBCP president from 2003 to 2005. He was named Davao archbishop in 1996 and held the post until his retirement in February 2012.

Ordained as a priest in 1961, Capalla chaired the Episcopal Commission on Interreligious Dialogue and the Episcopal Commission on Ecumenical Affairs. He also served as the first bishop of Iligan when Pope John Paul II elevated it to a diocese in 1982.

Capalla was also a peace advocate in Mindanao. He was the founding father of the Bishops-Ulama Conference, an interreligious organization that provides dialogue between Muslims and Christians. The late prelate served as apostolic administrator of Marawi from 1987 to 1991.

Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles presided a Mass offered for Capalla at the San Pedro Cathedral on Saturday afternoon.

“We can safely conclude that you our friend, our tatay (father), our lolo (grandfather), our archbishop, simply day in and day out, believing and showing us the presence of Jesus,” Valles said during his homily

“And in death, it is so, in faith, we believed that you are now with the Lord. The promise of the Eucharist that he who eats my (The Lord’s) flesh will live with me in eternal life,” he added.

The Archdiocese of Davao said Capalla will be laid to rest on Jan. 15 at the Dormition de San Pedro after a 10 a.m. mass at the San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City.