Pope Leo has appointed Father Cyril Villareal, a priest of the Archdiocese of Capiz in the Philippines, as the bishop of Kalibo.
Born in 1974 and ordained to the priesthood in 2001, Father Villareal has served in recent years as a seminary instructor (2012-2016), cathedral rector (2016-2018), vicar general (2016-2021), diocesan administrator (2021-2023), and pastor (since 2023).
In his 2011 thesis for the magister theologiae degree from the University of Vienna, Father Villareal spoke of his difficulties in ministering to contracepting Catholic couples. In the conclusion of his thesis, he asked, “Can the Church not update her teaching on sexual morality in the light of the vast changes that have affected our society?” (p. 115), adding, “I do not wish to go against this Church. I only wish that it would come up with a reasonable teaching for her people” (pp. 115-16).
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