Father Gerardo Saco Jr. says “change of heart” and personal limitations led him to decline appointment as bishop of Tagbilaran.
Newsroom (07/05/2026 Gaudium Press ) A Catholic priest in the Philippines has announced that he will not assume the post of bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran, choosing instead to step back from a role that had been set to culminate in an episcopal ordination later this month.
In a statement dated May 5, Father Gerardo Saco Jr. said he would not take up the bishopric due to what he described as personal limitations and a period of discernment that led to a “change of heart,” according to CBCP News, the reporting arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
Saco framed his decision as arising from an honest assessment of his own humanity and capacity. “It comes from a deep awareness of my own human limitations and inadequacies,” he said, explaining that his discernment process reflected both the demands of leadership in the Church and his own readiness to meet them.
His announcement comes weeks before his scheduled episcopal ordination on May 26. At that point, Saco had been serving as diocesan administrator, and he was widely expected to formally replace Archbishop Alberto Uy as bishop of Tagbilaran.
The shift in the diocese’s leadership had followed a change at the archdiocese level: Archbishop Uy had been transferred to the Cebu Archdiocese last September, leaving Tagbilaran without a bishop. More than a month after that vacancy, Pope Leo XIV appointed Saco as bishop of Tagbilaran, formalizing a transition that the faithful anticipated would be completed through Saco’s ordination.
In his statement, Saco also sought to reassure Catholics that his commitment to the priesthood would continue beyond the bishopric. He said: “Please be assured of my continued commitment as a priest to journey with you in faith in the Risen Lord, who never abandons us in moments of trial and need.”
Vatican acceptance communicated through the papal nuncio
Archbishop Uy said the Vatican accepted Saco’s decision after it was communicated to Pope Leo XIV through the papal nuncio.
The archbishop described the development as painful for many within the diocese, saying it has brought “sadness to many of us, especially the faithful of the Diocese of Tagbilaran.” Still, he indicated that the Church community should respond with respect, emphasizing prayer and discernment.
“Nevertheless, we respect Fr. Saco’s decision, trusting that it was made after deep and prayerful discernment,” Uy added. He also assured Saco of continued prayers and said he hopes for the timely appointment of a new bishop.
Diocese of Tagbilaran’s role in the Church
The Diocese of Tagbilaran is a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Cebu and serves the southern half of Bohol province. Established in 1941, it ministers to a Catholic population of more than 700,000 people—an ecclesial community now facing another step in the search for its next bishop following Saco’s decision.
With the bishopric now vacant again and Saco’s scheduled ordination on May 26 still looming as an immediate reference point, Church leaders are expected to proceed with the next appointment process, while the faithful await the Vatican’s determination on who will lead the diocese forward.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCA News
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