Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Batanes

Territorial Prelature of Batanes Praelatura Territorialis Batanensis Prelatura Teritoryal ng Batanes Prelatura Territorial de Batanes
Location
Country	Philippines
Ecclesiastical province	Tuguegarao
Metropolitan	Tuguegarao
Statistics
Area	784 km2 (303 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2004) 16, 476 15, 505 (94.1%)
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Cathedral	Cathedral of St Dominic of Guzman in Basco, Batanes
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Metropolitan Archbishop	Sergio Utleg

The Territorial Prelature of Batanes (in Latin: Praelatura Territorialis Batanensis) is a Latin rite pre-diocesan, non-missionary jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuguegarao on Luzon island in the Philippines.

The Cathedral of Santo Domingo de Guzman is the episcopal seat of the territorial prelate, in Basco, Batanes, Cagayan Valley. The current bishop is Danilo B Ulep.

Statistics and territory

As per 2014, it pastorally served 16,647 Catholics (94.5% of 17,609 total) on 784 km² in 6 parishes and 1 mission with 9 priests (diocesan), 4 lay religious (4 sisters), 2 seminarians.

The diocese includes the Philippine province of Batanes province and the municipality of Calayan in Cagayan Province. The territory is divided into six parishes. In 2004 there were 15,505 baptized about 16,476 inhabitants.

History

• It was erected on 30 November 1950 as Territorial Prelature of Batanes Islands and Babuyan / Batanen(sis) et Babuyanen(sis) (Latin) , on territory split off from the then Roman Catholic Diocese of Tuguegarao (now its Metropolitan). It was originally a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Manila.
• On 29 June 1951 it became part of the ecclesiastical province of Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia.
• On 21 September 1974 it became suffragan of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao, its mother see.
• On 6 February 2002 renamed Territorial Prelature of Batanes / Batanen(sis) (Latin adjective).

Episcopal ordinaries

(all Roman Rite)

Prelates of Batanes and the Babuyan Islands

• Peregrin de la Fuente Nesta, Dominican Order (O.P.) (Spaniard) (2 July 1951 - death 14 May 1966), Titular Bishop of Mylasa (1951.07.02 – 1966.05.14)
• Father Mario de Leon Baltazar, O.P. (18 November 1966 - retired 1995), died 2012

Prelates of Batanes

• Paala Jose Salazar, O.P. (25 April 1996 - 23 November 2002), next Titular Bishop of Hippo Diarrhytus (2002.11.23 – 2004.05.29) as Auxiliary Bishop of Diocese of Butuan (Philippines) (2002.11.23 – 2003.06.11) and as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Lipa (Philippines) (2003.06.11 – 2004.05.29)
• Camilo Diaz Gregorio (13 September 2003 - retired 20 May 2017), previously Titular Bishop of Girus (1987.01.12 – 1989.05.20) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Cebu (Philippines) (1987.01.12 – 1989.05.20), Bishop of Bacolod (Philippines) (1989.05.20 – 2000.08.28)
• Bishop-elect Danilo B. Ulep (20 May 2017 – ...), no previous prelature.

See also

• List of Catholic dioceses in the Philippines

Sources and external links

• GCatholic.org
• Catholic Hierarchy
• Prelature website