Pope Francis has appointed three priests of the Diocese of Borongan, Eastern Samar as “Chaplains to His Holiness” with the title of Monsignor.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines named the new chaplains of the Holy Father as Msgr. Lope Robredillo, Msgr. Eutiquio “Euly” Belizar Jr., and Msgr. Romeo Solidon.
Robredillo is the Borongan diocese’s Vicar General and heads two diocesan commissions: Liturgy and Cultural Heritage of the Church.
He is also the parish priest of the St. Nicholas of Tolentino Parish in Quinapondan town.
Belizar is the chairman of the diocese’s Commission on Doctrine of the Faith. He is currently on sabbatical leave.
Solidon is a team ministry member of the Cathedral Parish of the Nativity of Our Lady.
According to the diocese, all nominated monsignors are officially considered part of the papal household, whether they serve in the Vatican or elsewhere as the title historically designated a priest who served in the papal curia.
When Pope Francis scaled down the honorific positions within the Catholic Church in 2014, he retained the category of “Chaplain to His Holiness.”
In keeping with the Pope’s reforms, a “Chaplain to His Holiness” is only granted to a diocesan priest who is more than 65 years of age.
Monsignor is a title bestowed on a diocesan priest who has distinguished himself by many years of exceptional service to the church or has provided a specific and specialized function in church governance.
The honorary title does not affect the priest’s duties or ministerial assignment.
