Bishop-elect Apigo admits to having ‘sepanx’

When he was informed that the Pope has chosen him to become a bishop, Msgr. Abel Apigo said that he has started to have separation anxiety or sepanx as a term commonly used by young people in social media.

During an interview with the bishop-elect of Mati days after the announcement made last February 10, Msgr. Apigo said that he is anxious upon leaving his home diocese where he served for the past 24 years as a priest.

Even during the announcement held at the Friends of REMASE event in the seminary, Msgr. Apigo said that leaving the Archdiocese of Davao is one of his strongest fears.

But for him, it would be a selfish reason not to accept the responsibility of leading the flock of Mati whose former bishop is already retired due to health reasons.

“I went to the crypt where the late Abp. Antonio Mabutas, Abp. Clovis Thibault, PME, and Bp. Alfredo Baquial are buried. When I looked at their tombstones—Abp. Thibault from Quebec Canada, Abp. Mabutas from Ilocos and Bp. Baquial from Bohol—they are the people who left their beloved place in order to serve the Lord in other lands/vineyards,” said Msgr. Apigo in his response to his appointment.

He said that the anxiety and fear that he felt during those moments were also days when he had his days of deep soul searching and intense prayer.

“My solace is the Blessed Sacrament. The small faculty chapel became the place of joys and tears, of feeling the pride that the noble gift of being chosen as a Bishop, of being humbled to realize that despite my inadequacies God chose me to this very office,” he said.

“The chapel was the place where I poured out everything that I felt deep inside. It was the Lord Jesus who gave me comfort on those agonizing days,” he added.

As of now, Msgr. Apigo is preparing himself for his new life in the neighboring Diocese of Mati. He will be leaving his post as Rector of St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary where he spent almost all his years in the priesthood.

Msgr. Apigo is set to be ordained to the episcopacy on April 24 at the San Pedro Cathedral. His installation as Bishop of Mati is set a day after at the San Nicolas de Tolentino in Mati City.