Filipino Archbishop's Life Story Honored with Award Amid Sainthood Cause

The cause for the canonization of Cebuano Archbishop Teofilo “Lolong” Camomot still has a long way to go, but his official biography gained considerable attention after it won the 19th Cardinal Sin Book Award in the Spirituality Category. The awarding ceremony was held on September 14, 2025, during the Manila International Book Fair at the SMX Convention Center Manila.

“Faces of Divine Love: The Official Biography of Teofilo Bastida Camomot” was written by Reverend Fr. Mhar Vincent Balili and published by Bayard Assumption Media Foundation, Inc. Fr. Balili, who also serves as vice postulator of Camomot’s cause for canonization, is the Rector of the Seminario Mayor de San Carlos in Cebu City.

Interviewed by Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), Fr. Balili said he hopes the book will help spread devotion to Venerable Camomot.

“May his life inspire people to follow his footsteps,” he said. On the current status of the canonization process, Fr. Balili shared, “We are still praying for a miracle.”

On May 21, 2022, Marcello Cardinal Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation of the Causes of Saints at the Vatican, by authority of then Pope Francis, promulgated a decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Archbishop Camomot, conferring on him the title of Venerable.

For Camomot to be declared Blessed, one miracle must be officially recognized. A second confirmed miracle is required for him to be declared a saint of the Catholic Church.

While numerous testimonies of healing through Camomot’s intercession have been collected, Fr. Balili explained that none so far has met the strict criteria of a “miracle.” A healing must be from a life-threatening, incurable condition, and it must remain medically and scientifically inexplicable after thorough evaluation.

Still, he urged the faithful to continue praying for Camomot’s cause, “The search for a genuine miracle continues. We must persist in prayer.”

Monsignor Lolong, as Camomot was fondly called, was deeply loved for his compassion for the poor. He was known to give away whatever he had, even pawning his episcopal ring and pectoral cross to help those in need.

He died in a vehicular accident in San Fernando, Cebu, on September 27, 1988, at the age of 74.

The Archdiocese of Cebu has formally declared that his virtues merit sainthood consideration. If canonized, Camomot would become the third saint of the Philippines, after San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila and San Pedro Calungsod, both laymen.