Pope appoints new Vicar Apostolic in the Philippines ‎

(Vatican)  Pope Francis on Friday appointed a new Vicar Apostolic to the Vicariate Apostolic of Puerto Princesa in the Philippines. Fr. Socrates Mesiona of the Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP), the current national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies of the Philippines and former MSP Superior General is the new Apostolic Vicar of  Puerto Princesa.  The 53-year old priest takes over from Bishop Pedro Arigo, who has been Vicar Apostolic of Puerto Princesa since 1996.

Born in 1963 in Tagbilaran, Fr. Mesiona studied philosophy at the city’s Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary (1980-’84) and philosophy at the Divine Word School of Theology (1984-’89).  He was ordained to priesthood in 1989.  From 1994 to ’96 he studied for a licentiate in Missiology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.  Fr. Mesiona was entrusted with several responsibilities such as principal of the school and later as rector of the Fil-mission Seminary in Tagaytay City, parish priest in Madaluyong City and bursar and member of the Mission Society of the Philippines.  He served as MSP superior general from 2004-2009, after which he was appointed national director of the national Pontifical Mission Societies.