FORMER Dominican provincial and UST vice chancellor Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, O.P. has been appointed socius for Asia-Pacific of the Order of Preachers.
Timoner replaces Fr. Vincent Lu Hua, O.P. of the Province of Vietnam as assistant for Asia-Pacific of Dominican Master General Fr. Bruno Cadore, O.P.
The former Central Seminary rector will be based at the Dominican Curia in Santa Sabina Basilica in Rome.
Timoner was born on Jan. 26, 1968 and hails from Daet, Camarines Norte. Ordained priest in 1995, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Philippine Dominican Center of International Studies in 1991 and his bachelor’s degree in theology from UST in 1994.
He finished his licentiate in sacred theology at the Catholic University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands in 2004.
Timoner served as vice rector for religious affairs and rector of the UST Central Seminary from 2007 to 2012.
In 2014, Pope Francis named him to the Vatican’s International Theological Commission, established by Pope Paul VI in 1969 to examine questions on doctrinal matters, particularly from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Timoner is the fourth Filipino to join the International Theological Commission for a five-year term and is the sole Philippine member of the commission that advises Pope Francis.
