New Jolo bishop installed

Bishop Charlie Inzon is seated in his cathedra during his installation Mass at the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu on July 16, 2020. (Courtesy of Br. Bobby Diana/OMI Philippines)

Bishop Charlie Inzon has been installed as the sixth apostolic vicar of the southern Philippine vicariate of Jolo on Thursday.

The ceremony took place during a Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel during her feast day in Sulu province’s Jolo town.

The bishop was installed by Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, the archbishop emeritus of Cotabato, and his successor Archbishop Angelito Lampon.

“I rejoice in the mercy of God and trust in his assurance of strength and consolation as I take up this ministry of service in the Church in the Vicariate of Jolo,” Inzon said.

The prelate succeeds Archbishop Lampon, who was transferred to the Cotabato archdiocese in 2018.

The apostolic vicariate covers the southernmost islands of Sulu and Tawi-tawi.

Also in attendance were priests from Jolo and Cotabato and some lay people.

Thursday also marked the first year anniversary of the rededication and reopening of the Jolo cathedral after its closure due to the January 2019 bombing.

The installation took place nearly two months after his episcopal ordination at the Cotabato cathedral.

Originally scheduled on May 28, a week after his ordination, the installation was delayed due to quarantine measures during these times of the coronavirus pandemic. (CBCP News)

A version of this article was first published on CBCP News.