POPE Francis appointed Antipolo Auxiliary Bishop Nolly Buco as the new bishop of Catarman in Northern Samar.
The appointment was announced by the Holy See Press Office on Friday.
Buco had been serving as the apostolic administrator of Catarman since the early retirement of Bishop Emmanuel Trance in December 2023.
A native of Davao Oriental, Buco obtained his doctorate at the UST Faculty of Canon Law in 2004.
Buco serves as the chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Commission on Canon Law.
He also heads the CBCP’s National Tribunal of Appeals, which handles appeals concerning marriage nullity cases from diocesan tribunals.
The Antipolo auxiliary bishop earned his philosophy degree from the Sacred Heart Seminary in Palo, Leyte, and his theology degree from the Immaculate Conception Major Seminary in Guiguinto, Bulacan.
He became a priest on Oct. 18, 1993, at the Diocese of Antipolo, and served in various capacities in the diocese, including as judicial vicar.
Buco was ordained bishop on Sept. 8, 2018.