Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Batanes
The Territorial Prelature of Batanes (in Latin: Praelatura Territorialis Batanensis) is a Latin rite pre-diocesan, non-missionary jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuguegarao[2] on Luzon island in the Philippines.
Territorial Prelature of Batanes Praelatura Territorialis Batanensis Prelatura Teritoryal ng Batanes Prelatura Territorial de Batanes | |
|---|---|
Coat of arms | |
| Location | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Territory | Batanes |
| Metropolitan | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuguegarao[1] |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 784 km2 (303 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2004) 16, 476 15, 505 (94.1%) |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Basco, Batanes |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Prelate | Danilo B. Ulep |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Ricardo L. Baccay |
The Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral is the episcopal seat of the territorial prelate, in Basco, Batanes. The current bishop-prelate is Danilo B. Ulep.
Statistics and territory
As per 2014, it pastorally served 16,647 Catholics (94.5% of 17,609 total) on 784 km² in 6 parishes and 1 mission with 9 priests (diocesan), 4 lay religious (4 sisters), 2 seminarians.
The prelature includes Batanes province and the municipality of Calayan in Cagayan Province. The territory is divided into six parishes. In 2004 there were 15,505 baptized about 16,476 inhabitants.
History
The prelature was erected on 30 November 1950 as Territorial Prelature of Batanes Islands and Babuyan / Batanen(sis) et Babuyanen(sis) (Latin), on territory split off from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Manila. On 29 June 1951 it became part of the ecclesiastical province of Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia. It became suffragan of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao, its mother see on 21 September 1974. On 6 February 2002 renamed Territorial Prelature of Batanes / Batanen(sis) (Latin adjective).
Coat of arms
The silver crescent symbolizes the Immaculate Conception, the titular of the principal church in the prelature. The North Star together with the constellation of the Ursa major denotes that the prelature covers the northern-most part of the Philippines. Cattle is the most important export product of Batanes and Babuyan Islands hence the bull on pasture. The agitated sea symbolizes the dangerous waters between these islands.[3]
Episcopal ordinaries
(all Roman Rite)
- Prelates of Batanes and the Babuyan Islands
| Ordinary | Period in Office | Coat of Arms | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Peregrin de la Fuente Nestar | 2 July 1951 Appointed- 14 May 1966 Death | ||
| 2. | Mario de Leon Baltazar | 18 Nov 1966 Appointed - 1995 Resigned | ||
- Prelates of Batanes
| Bishop-Prelates | Period in Office | Coat of Arms | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jose Paala Salazar | 25 Apr 1996 Appointed - 23 Nov 2002 | ||
| 2. | Camilo Diaz Gregorio | 13 Sept 2003 Appointed - 20 May 2017 Retired | ||
| 3. | Danilo B. Ulep | 20 May 2017 Appointed– Present |
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See also
References
- ^ "Batanes (Territorial Prelature) [Catholic-Hierarchy]".
- ^ "Batanes (Territorial Prelature) [Catholic-Hierarchy]".
- ^ Madriaga, Mariano (1957). "The Coats-of-Arms of the Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions in the Philippines: Part II. The Suffragan Sees in the Luzon Area". Philippine Studies. 5 (4): 420–430. JSTOR 42719342. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
Sources and external links
- GCatholic.org
- Catholic Hierarchy
- Prelature website