SORSOGON, August 11 -- Pope John Paul II has appointed Bishop Arturo M. Bastes, S.V.D., presently the Bishop of
Romblon, as Coadjutor Bishop of Sorsogon.His nomination was officially announced by the Holy Father in Rome last July 25, the Feast of St. James, and simulta-neously in Manila by the Apostolic
Nuncio Arch-bishop Antonio Franco.
As Coadjutor Bishop of Sorsogon, Bishop Bastes will be assisting the present Bishop of Sorsogon, Bishop Jesus Y. Varela, and will succeed him in the position upon the
latter's retirement. Bishop Varela will be 75 years old on December 18 this year. He was ordained to the Episcopacy on April 30, 1967 and has been a Bishop for 35 years.
Bishop Arturo M.
Bastes, S.V.D. was born on April 1, 1944 in Loboc, Bohol. He entered the Christ the King Mission Seminary in Quezon City after graduating from grade school. He pursued philosophy studies and obtained his
Bachelor and Masteral degrees from the Divine Word Semi-nary in Tagaytay City, and was sent to Rome, where he obtained his Licentiate degree in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University and his Licentiate
in Sacred Scriptures from the Pontifical Bible Institute.
He was ordained to the priesthood on November 28, 1970 by Pope Paul VI during his apostolic visit to the Philippines in that year.
Among his assignments have been professor of the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay City, pastor of the parishes of Del Carmen and Sta. Monica in Surigao del Norte, district superior of the SVD Surigao District, professor
of the Regional Major Seminary in Davao City, director of the Paul VI Biblical Center in Davao City, and Episcopal Vical of Siargao.
In 1994, he was elected Provincial Superior of the Society of the
Divine Word, to finish the term of Fr. Antonio M. Pernia, S.V.D., who has been elected Vice-Superior General in Rome. Two years later, he was elected again as Pro-vincial Superior of the SVD-Southern Province for
a three-year term.
He was ordained Bishop on August 21, 1997 in Cebu City, and was installed as the Third Bishop of Romblon on October 1 of the same year. He is also presently the chairman of the
CBCP Episcopal Commission on the Biblical Apostolate.
