Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Charlie Inzon, OMI, the Apostolic Vicar of Jolo, as the new Archbishop of Cotabato in the southern Philippines.
The 59-year-old bishop will succeed Archbishop Angelito Lampon, OMI, whose resignation was accepted by the Holy Father after reaching the canonical retirement age of 75 last March 1. Archbishop Lampon has shepherded the Archdiocese of Cotabato since January 2019.
The appointment was formally announced at the Vatican at 12 noon (6:00 p.m. Manila time) on September 8, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Life and Ministry
Born in Pilar, Sorsogon in 1965, Bishop Inzon entered the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) in 1982 and professed perpetual vows in 1990. He studied philosophy at Notre Dame University in Cotabato City and theology at the Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University, where he later also earned a master’s degree in theology and a doctorate in psychology.
He was ordained a priest on April 24, 1993, and served in various parishes and schools. He also held leadership roles as president of Notre Dame College in Jolo and Notre Dame University in Cotabato, before becoming provincial superior of the OMI congregation in 2018.
In 2020, Pope Francis appointed him as Apostolic Vicar of Jolo. He was ordained bishop on May 21, 2020, at Cotabato Cathedral and installed in Jolo on July 16, 2020.
Within the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Bishop Inzon currently serves as chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Catholic Education.
Awaiting Installation
No date has yet been set for his installation as the fifth Archbishop of Cotabato.
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