SAN JOSE de Antique Bishop Emeritus Raul José Martirez, a UST Central Seminary and Faculty of Sacred Theology alumnus, died on Monday, Sept. 2. He was 86.
His death was announced by Christ the King Parish Greenmeadows, where Martirez had resided, in a Facebook post.
“Christ the King Greenmeadows thanks the Lord for the gift of Bishop Raul. We fondly remember his warm smiles and loving words during his stay with our parish community,” the parish said.
The retired bishop died at 11:24 p.m. due to a stroke, the Diocese of San Jose de Antique said, as reported by Inquirer.net.
Born on Feb. 9, 1938 in New Washington, Aklan, Martirez entered the UST Central Seminary in 1957 and obtained his theology degree from the Faculty of Sacred Theology in 1960.
Martirez was ordained priest in the then Diocese of Capiz on March 18, 1961.
He was ordained to the episcopate in San Jose de Antique on March 24, 1983.
In 1968, he became the third rector of St. Pius X Seminary in Roxas City, Capiz.
He went to Rome to take his licentiate in Canon Law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in 1973.
Upon his return to the country, he was designated rector of St. Joseph Regional Seminary in Jaro, Iloilo, in 1978.
On Jan. 5, 1983, Pope John Paul II appointed Martirez bishop of the Diocese of San Jose de Antique.
Martirez was a member of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Permanent Council and chairman of its Episcopal Commission for Non-believers.
He resigned as bishop in 2002 at 65 due to health concerns.
The wake will be held from Sept. 3 to 5 at Christ the King Parish Greenmeadows Main Church in Quezon City.
A funeral Mass, to be presided over by Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula, will be held on Sept. 6. Reya Vincent P. Misa and Vince Alfred M. Pillagara
