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by: Rene C Vargas
ARCHBISHOP CARMELO DOMINADOR FLORES MORELOS of the Archdiocese of
Zamboanga, retired in November last year, and he chose to spend the autumn of
his life ngani Butuan. Born on December 11, 1930 in Sorsogon City, he still
looks hale and sprightly today, fully recovered it seems from the coronary
by-pass surgery at the Philippine Heart Center in 1991. He most certainly still
delivers incisive homilies, and will continue to do so for many more years.
His first assignment as Bishop was in the then newly created Diocese of Butuan
some 40 years ago. Over the years, he developed a deep attachment to Butuan and
its people. This attachment, he says, is the reason he chose Butuan as his
place of retirement.
He was City's first Bishop when the Diocese of Butuan came into being in 1967.
He continued to occupy the position until 1995 when he left us to become the
Archbishop of Zamboanga. There are some of us ngani Butuan who hoped that he
would become a Cardinal based in Mindanao. But age caught up with him. At age
75, he submitted his customary resignation to the Pope who did not approve his
resignation until November 13, 2006. He has since resided ngani Butuan. He
continues to be loved and looked up to with respect by the faithful among his
flock.
Archbishop Morelos became a priest in 1954 after finishing the course at the
seminary of Our Lady of Penafranca in Sorsogon City. He took further studies in
Philosophy and Theology at the University of Santo Tomas in 1947 - 1954.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
BISHOP CARLOS VON OUWELANT also chose to retire ngani Butuan. Prior to his
retirement, he was the Bishop of Surigao. The Diocese of Surigao, based in
Surigao City, then included Butuan and the provinces of Caraga Region. He
chose to spend the remaining years of his life ngani Butuan until his death 4
years ago. He chose Butuan over his home country - Holland. He was of the
religious order of the Missionary of the Sacred Heart.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
What is it ngani Butuan that makes it the retirement haven of choice by these
eminent personalities? Both were not even Butuan-born? Archbishop Morelos is
a Bicolano, while Bishop Von Ouwelant was a Dutch national. It has been said
that it takes an outsider to see the bigger picture. If so, then perhaps there
is indeed more ngani Butuan that the Bishops saw that some Butuanons fail to
appreciate.
Submit comments via the Discussion Board at:
http://www.butuanon.org/yabb/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.cgi?board=Essays
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