# Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro

The Archdiocese of Jaro (Latin: Archdiocesis Jarensis; Hiligaynon: Arkidiyosesis sang Jaro; Filipino: Arkidiyosesis ng Jaro; Spanish: Arquidiócesis de Jaro) is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church headquartered in Jaro, Iloilo City, Philippines. Its episcopal see is at the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, also the National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles, as its seat. The metropolitan archdiocese covers the provinces of Iloilo, Guimaras, Antique, and Negros Occidental. Its titular patron saint is Elizabeth of Hungary, whose feast is celebrated on November 17.
The Archdiocese of Jaro is one of the oldest episcopal sees in the country. It was established on May 27, 1865, through a papal bull of Pope Pius IX, according to a document signed by Archbishop Gregorio Martinez, then archbishop of Manila. The diocese was created from the territory of the Archdiocese of Manila. Its first bishop was Mariano Cuartero, a Dominican missionary in the Philippines, who took possession of the diocese, on April 25, 1868. It is also one of the largest episcopal sees during the Spanish colonial era encompassing the whole island of Panay (Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo provinces), Mindoro, Romblon, Negros (Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental provinces), Palawan, Davao, Sulu, Cotabato and Zamboanga Peninsula as part of its jurisdiction.
On April 10, 1910, it lost some of its territories to the newly created Diocese of Zamboanga and Apostolic Prefecture of Palawan. Negros Oriental (Dumaguete) was also a part of it, but became a separate diocese under Cebu. Later, three other ecclesiastical jurisdictions were established from its territory: the Diocese of Bacolod (July 15, 1932), Apostolic Prefecture of Mindoro (July 2, 1936), and the Diocese of Capiz (January 27, 1951).
On April 28, 1934, Pope Pius XI promulgated apostolic constitution Romanorum Pontificum semper separating the dioceses of Cebu, Calbayog, Jaro, Bacolod, Zamboanga and Cagayan de Oro from the ecclesiastical province of Manila. The same constitution elevated the diocese of Cebu into an archdiocese while placing all the newly separated dioceses under a new ecclesiastical province with Cebu as the new metropolitan see. On June 29, 1951, it was raised as a metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Pius XII. On March 24, 1962, it lost some territory to establish the Territorial Prelature of San Jose de Antique, which was later elevated as a diocese in 1982.
The ecclesiastical province of Jaro consists of the metropolitan archdiocese of the same name, as well as its suffragan dioceses of Bacolod, San Carlos, and Kabankalan, all in the province of Negros Occidental, and San Jose de Antique in the province of Antique.

## History

The precursor of the Archdiocese of Jaro dates back when it was founded in 1587 as a Roman Catholic parish by the Spanish colonists. The diocese of Jaro whose patron saint is Elizabeth of Hungary was officially and formally established by virtue of the Papal bull "Qui Ab Initio" of Pope Pius IX, issued in Rome on May 27, 1865. On October 10, 1867, the decree took effect and Jaro was made an Episcopal See, according to the document signed by D. Gregorio Meliton Martinez, then archbishop of Manila and executor-delegate of the decree. It is worth noting that this "decretum executorium" was also signed by Jose Burgos, Pro-Secretary, a secular priest who became one of the outstanding martyr-heroes of the country.
Jaro was separated from the now Archdiocese of Cebu and became a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Manila. Its territories at creation comprised the islands of Panay, (now composed of the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Antique and Aklan), Guimaras, Negros (now the twin provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental), Romblon and Palawan, as well as the provinces of Cotabato, Zamboanga, Davao and Sulu of Mindanao. Mariano Cuartero became its first bishop on April 25, 1868.
In the 20th century the diocese was further divided to form new ecclesiastical jurisdictions. Zamboanga was made a separate diocese in 1910, while Palawan was made an apostolic prelature in the same year; then Bacolod in 1933, Capiz in 1951 and finally the Prelature of San Jose, Antique in 1962 as suffragans.
Concurrently with the elevation of Jaro to an archdiocese, the first Filipino bishop, Jose Maria Cuenco, was raised to the rank of metropolitan archbishop, thereby making him the first archbishop of Jaro.
On January 17, 1976, Pope Paul VI elevated Capiz to the rank of archdiocese, with the dioceses of Romblon and Kalibo as its suffragans. The Archdiocese of Jaro was left with the dioceses of Bacolod (which eventually was divided into three dioceses: Bacolod, San Carlos, and Kabankalan) and San Jose de Antique as its suffragans.
On February 20, 1981, Pope John Paul II visited the archdiocese and crowned the image of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria at the facade of Jaro Cathedral, the first Marian image crowned personally without a papal legate by a pope.

## Coat of arms

The black eagle and the three red roses refer to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary or of Thuringia, patroness of the Jaro Cathedral. The coconut on a green knoll represents Jaro.

## Ordinaries

The current archbishop is Jose Romeo O. Lazo. He was born on January 23, 1949, in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique He attended the St. Vincent Ferrer Major Seminary in Jaro, and was ordained a priest on April 1, 1975, in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique. After his ordination, he pursued higher studies at the East Asian Pastoral Institute, Quezon City in and the Institute of Pastoral Theology in Berkeley, California, United States.
In 2003, Lazo was appointed bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kalibo, and was ordained bishop on December 29, 2003. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose de Antique in 2009. On February 14, 2018, Pope Francis appointed him as the archbishop of Jaro following the retirement of Archbishop Angel Lagdameo. Lagdameo served the archdiocese for 17 years.

### List of bishops and archbishops of Jaro

| No. | Name | From | Until |
| 1 | Mariano Cuartero y Medina, O.P. | September 20, 1867 | July 16, 1884 |
| 2 | Leandro Arrúe Agudo, O.A.R. | March 27, 1885 | October 24, 1897 |
| 3 | Andrés Ferrero y Malo de San José, O.A.R. | March 24, 1898 | October 27, 1903 |
| 4 | Frederick Zadok Rooker | June 12, 1903 | September 20, 1907 |
| 5 | Dennis Joseph Dougherty | April 19, 1908 | December 6, 1915 |
| 6 | Maurice Patrick Foley | September 6, 1916 | August 7, 1919 |
| 7 | James Paul McCloskey | March 8, 1920 | April 10, 1945 |
| 8 | José María Cuenco | November 24, 1945 | October 8, 1972 |
| 9 | Jaime Lachica Sin | October 8, 1972 | January 21, 1974 |
| 10 | Artemio G. Casas | May 11, 1974 | October 25, 1985 |
| 11 | Alberto Jover Piamonte | April 2, 1986 | December 17, 1998 |
| 12 | Angel Lagdameo | March 11, 2000 | February 14, 2018 |
| 13 | Jose Romeo O. Lazo | February 14, 2018 | February 2, 2025 |
| 14 | Midyphil B. Billones | February 2, 2025 | incumbent |

## Affiliated bishops

Living
* Jose Romeo O. Lazo (Archbishop: February 14, 2018 – present)
* Jose Serofia Palma (Priest: August 21, 1976 – November 28, 1997)
* Emmanuel Celeste Trance (Priest: May 17, 1978 – May 14, 2004)
* Gerardo Alimane Alminaza (Former Auxiliary Bishop: May 29, 2008 – September 14, 2013)
Deceased
* Fernando R. Capalla (Priest: March 18, 1961 – April 2, 1975)
* Leandro Arrúe Agudo (Bishop: March 27, 1885 – October 24, 1897)
* Teofilo Bastida Camomot (Auxiliary Bishop: March 23, 1955 – June 10, 1958)
* Artemio G. Casas (Archbishop: May 11, 1974 – 25 October 25, 1985)
* Mariano Cuartero y Medina (Bishop: September 20, 1867 – July 16, 1884)
* José María Cuenco (Auxiliary Bishop: November 22, 1941; Bishop: November 24, 1945; Archbishop: June 29, 1951 – October 8, 1972)
* Dennis Joseph Dougherty (Bishop: April 19, 1908 – December 6, 1915)
* Andrés Ferrero y Malo de San José (Bishop: March 24, 1898 – October 27, 1903)
* Maurice Patrick Foley (Bishop: September 6, 1916 – August 7, 1919)
* James Paul McCloskey (Bishop: March 8, 1920 – April 10, 1945)
* Juan Nicolasora Nilmar (Auxiliary Bishop: February 20, 1959 – January 3, 1967)
* Alberto Jover Piamonte (Priest: March 22, 1958; Auxiliary Bishop: December 28, 1974; Archbishop: April 2, 1986 – December 17, 1998)
* Frederick Zadok Rooker (Bishop: June 12, 1903 – September 20, 1907)
* Jaime Lachica Sin (Priest: April 3, 1954; Auxiliary Bishop: February 10, 1967; Coadjutor Archbishop: January 15, 1972; Archbishop: October 8, 1972 – January 21, 1974)
* Angel N. Lagdameo (Archbishop Emeritus: March 11, 2000 – February 14, 2018)

## Suffragan dioceses

* Diocese of Bacolod, in northwestern Negros Occidental
* Diocese of Kabankalan, in southern Negros Occidental
* Diocese of San Carlos, in northeastern Negros Occidental
* Diocese of San Jose de Antique, in Antique