Thousands of Catholics filled streets, ports, and churches on Sunday, September 28, to bid farewell to Archbishop-designate Alberto “Abet” Uy in Bohol and to welcome him warmly in Cebu, where he is set to assume leadership of the country’s largest archdiocese.
In Tagbilaran City, hundreds of Boholanos packed the St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral-Shrine for Uy’s final Mass as Bishop of Tagbilaran, a post he had held since 2016.
In his homily, Uy cautioned the faithful that indifference can be as destructive as cruelty.
“When we close our hearts to the poor, we are also closing our hearts to God,” he said, urging Catholics to embrace generosity. “Those who have more than they need should build longer tables, not higher fences, and open their hearts wider for others.”
After the Mass, parishioners and local leaders escorted him to the Tagbilaran port. Uy departed aboard Oceanjet 8 at noon and arrived at Cebu’s Pier 1 shortly before 4 p.m., where a massive crowd had gathered in anticipation.
He was greeted by outgoing Archbishop Jose Palma, civic leaders including the mayors of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu, as well as parish representatives.
Church officials presented him with symbolic gifts — an image of the Señor Santo Niño and Cebu’s iconic guitar — while the Sandiego Dance Troupe performed a Sinulog dance.
From the port, a motorcade carried Uy through streets lined with parishioners, students, and families waving yellow and white flags and placards.
Chants of “Welcome to Cebu, Archbishop” and “We love you, Archbishop” rang out as he smiled and waved back. Uy later told reporters he felt “overwhelmed” by the warm reception.
The motorcade concluded at the Cebu Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint Pedro Calungsod, where Uy fulfilled canonical requirements by making his Solemn Profession of Faith and taking the Oath of Fidelity. He also joined the Vespers service and witnessed the unveiling of his coat of arms.
Palma, who turned 75 in March, stepped down after more than a decade at the helm of the Archdiocese. On July 16, Pope Leo XIV appointed Uy as his successor, making him the fifth Metropolitan Archbishop of Cebu.
Born in Ubay, Bohol, Uy served nine years as Bishop of Tagbilaran. He became known for his strong stance against corruption, his calls for accountability in government, and his environmental programs, including One Believer, One Tree and the Hipos Tarp Operation, a parish-led cleanup campaign after elections.
Cebu is hosting several activities ahead of Uy’s formal installation, including a civic reception, tree-planting, a feeding program, and public veneration.
The Mass of Canonical Possession and Installation will be held at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 30, at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.
Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Charles John Brown will preside as installing prelate, while Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome, will deliver the homily.
The ceremony will draw 820 priests, 52 bishops and archbishops, and three Filipino cardinals, underscoring Cebu’s place as the cradle of Christianity in the Philippines and home to more than 4.7 million Catholics across 170 parishes.
Cebu Business News
