José S. Palma

Not to be confused with José Palma, the 19th century lyricist of the Philippine National Anthem.

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Serofia and the surname or paternal family name is Palma.

The Most Reverend José S. Palma O.P.
Archbishop of Cebu
Archbishop José S. Palma, celebrating the Novus Ordo Mass in Ad Orientem at Oratory of Our Lady of Sorrows, circa 2023.
Church	Latin Church
Province	Cebu
See	Cebu
Appointed	15 October 2010
Installed	13 January 2011
Predecessor	Ricardo Vidal
Previous post(s)	Archbishop of Palo Bishop of Calbayog
Orders
Ordination	21 August 1976 by Alberto Jover Piamonte
Consecration	13 January 1998 by Gian Vincenzo Moreni
Personal details
Born	(1950-03-19) 19 March 1950 Dingle, Iloilo, Philippines
Nationality	Filipino
Denomination	Catholicism
Alma mater	St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary St. Joseph Regional Seminary Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Motto	Latin: Non nobis Domine ("Not to us O Lord", Psalm 115:1)
Signature
Coat of arms

Styles of José S. Palma
Reference style	The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Archbishop

Palma (2019 Malolos Cathedral)

José Serofia Palma O.P. (born 19 March 1950) is a Filipino prelate and a professed member of the Dominican Order who is currently serving as the Archbishop of Cebu since 15 October 2010. He had previously served as Archbishop of Palo in Leyte. He also served as president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines from 2011 to 2013.

Early life

Palma was born in Dingle, Iloilo, in the Archdiocese of Jaro. He studied philosophy at St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary and theological studies at the St. Joseph Regional Seminary. He received his licentiate in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas in Manila, and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Jaro on 21 August 1976.

Palma earned a doctorate from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas, Angelicum in Rome in 1987 with a dissertation entitled Death as an Act: A Dialogue in Eschatology with Contemporary Theologians.

Priesthood

After a year as assistant priest at the Jaro Cathedral, he taught at his alma mater, St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary. After his studies in Rome, he became rector of the seminary until he was appointed rector of the major seminary of the Metropolitan Province of Jaro-the St. Joseph Regional Seminary, in 1988. Meanwhile, he also held various positions in several diocesan commissions. In 1997 he was made parish priest of the Parish of St Anthony of Padua in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo (Archdiocese of Jaro). On 28 November 1997, Pope John Paul II appointed him Titular Bishop of Vazari Diddi and Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu. He was consecrated on 13 January 1998. Exactly a year later, he was made Bishop-Ordinary of the See of Calbayog.

As archbishop

Archbishop of Palo

On 18 March 2006, Palma was appointed Archbishop of Palo by Pope Benedict XVI, succeeding Archbishop-Emeritus Pedro R. Dean.

Archbishop of Cebu

On 15 October 2010 he was appointed Archbishop of Cebu, replacing Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, who had been archbishop for 29 years. He was installed on 13 January 2011 at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. He served as vice-president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines from 1 December 2009 until 11 July 2011 on which he was elected president.

In 2018 he joined the Order of Preachers.

Pope Francis named him a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture on 11 November 2019.

In December 2024, Archbishop Palma suspended indefinitely the celebration of Traditonal Tridentine Mass (TLM) in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu until further notice.

External links

• Media related to Jose S. Palma at Wikimedia Commons
• Catholic Hierarchy Archbishop Jose S. Palma
• Calbayog
• Palo Archdiocese