On his 76th birthday, Archbishop Fernando Capalla of the Archdiocese of Davao announced that he has submitted his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI. He sent his resignation letter through Papal Nuncio Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams.
Based on the Canon law, bishops should submit their resignations when they reach their 75th year.
Since such resignation is not automatic, Capalla will still be the bishop of the archdiocese until Pope Benedict XVI assigns another bishop. The process of finding his replacement would start on the first semester of 2011.
Capalla was the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) from 2003 to 2005. He is also an Honorary President of the World Conference on Religion and Peace. He has already won several awards for his work on peace, such as the San Lorenzo Ruiz Award for Peace and Unity in 1991, the Public Service Award for Peace from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1998 and the Aurora Aragon Quezon Peace Award in 2000.
Source: CBCP News
