By Edalyn B. Acta
The Archdiocese of Capiz has changed the date of its 1951 canonical creation to July 11 after a thorough research.
“For several decades, the Archdiocese of Capiz has commemorated its canonical erection anniversary every 28th of May,” said Fr. Dedert Duarte, the chancellor of the Archdiocese of Capiz.
“However, after a recent archival investigation, new findings have come to light revealing that the actual date of canonical erection is different from what has long been celebrated,” noted Fr. Duarte.
Fr. Duarte disclosed this coinciding with the Friday countdown to next year’s 50th anniversary of the archdiocese’s elevation and the 75th anniversary of the diocese’s creation.
The story behind the date change began in February 2021 when Fr. Duarte participated in an online meeting among the Capiz clergy and began his own research.
Fr. Duarte initially found articles published on the same souvenir program for the 1959 blessing and inauguration of St. Pius X Seminary that had two different accounts. The future Cardinal Jaime Sin simply wrote July 1951 while Fr. Antonio Viray wrote that the canonical erection was on July 16th.
For several decades, several publications stated the diocese’s canonical erection as the long-standing date of May 28, 1951.
Fr. Duarte also considered other materials that made mention of July 11, but it was his research with primary documents that made the claims concrete.
Foremost, the Act of Erection of the Diocese of Capiz and the Act of Possession of the Diocese of Capiz by its first Bishop Manuel Yap were both dated July 11, 1951.
Documents from the Vatican and Papal Nuncio also debunked the May 28, 1951 date.
“The Executory Decree of the Papal Nuncio was issued on May 29, 1951,” emphasized Fr. Duarte.
The Vatican created the Diocese of Capiz by virtue of the Bull of Erection Ex supremi apostulatus issued on January 27, 1951 during the reign of Pope Pius XII.
Meanwhile, Archbishop of Capiz Victor Bendico led the unveiling of the jubilee logo on the façade of the Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral—the seat of the archdiocese.
Caption
Archbishop Victor Bendico leads the mass for the countdown of the golden and diamond anniversary of the archdiocese and diocese respectively at the Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral in Roxas City. Fr. Dedert Duarte announces the date change of the diocese’s canonical creation. (Photos from Seminarians Joshua Moises and Miguel Anton Durana of Sancta Maria Mater et Regina Seminarium and Fr. Dedert Duarte.)
