The Military Ordinariate of the Philippines (MOP) was erected as Military Vicariate on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8 of 1950, by Pope Pius XII (Consistorial Decree Ad consulendum). He became the first Military Vicar in the country. Subsequently, the new Military Vicariate was accepted by the Philippine government in a diplomatic agreement (Notes Verbal 1952) signed by Foreign Secr
etary Jaime Elizalde and Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines. On April 21, 1986, Pope John Paul II issued the Apostolic Constitution on the spiritual care of the uniformed services "Spirituali Militum Curae" which took effect on July 21, 1986. This constitution was unique in that it began a new structure for all military vicariates all over the world. Elevating these vicariates to the level of "Ordinaries" placed them on the level of dioceses. With this, the MOP has become the Roman Catholic Diocese for the men and women in uniform of the of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Bureau of Jail Management & Penology (BJMP), Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) their dependents and civilian employees. The MOP has its own Chancery, with its Office Address at AFP Interfaith Bldg, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, and exercises its pastoral ministry through its Chaplains assigned at the different branches of service (AFP, PNP, PCG, BFP, BJMP, VMMC). Other MOP Offices are located at the Shrine of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, Newport, Villamor, Pasay City because of its accessible location (adjacent to all airport terminals), hassle-free travel of the Military Bishop for his Pastoral Visits to Regional Offices, and stress-free accommodation of Chaplains coming from Northern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Its titular patron is the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saints Ignatius of Loyola and Therese of the Child Jesus are the secondary patrons. The Military Bishop
The Most Reverend
OSCAR JAIME LLANETA FLORENCIO, DD, STHD
Born: February 5, 1966 in Capoocan, Leyte. Ordained Priest: April 3, 1990. Ordained Bishop: September 4, 2015. Appointed Military Bishop: March
2, 2019. Installed: April 3, 2019 at St. Ignatius de Loyola Cathedral, Camp
General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City
Office Address:
Office of the Military Bishop
Military Ordinariate of the Philippines
AFP Interfaith Building
Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo
1110 Quezon City, Philippines
Chancery Tel.: (02) 911-5666 ∙ (02) 911-6001 loc. 6698
Chancery Fax: (02) 911-5666
Email: [email protected]
Bishop’s House Tel.: (02) 911-6001 loc. 6546; (02) 911-5275
Former Military Ordinaries
1. Cardinal Rufino Jiao Santos (1950-1974) - First Military Vicar
2. Bishop Mariano Gaviola (1974 to 1982) - Second Military Vicar. Former Bishop of Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija. Became Archbishop of Lipa.
3. Bishop Pedro G. Magugat, MSC (1982-1985) - Third Military Vicar. Became the first resident Bishop of Urdaneta, Pangasinan on 22 April 1985.
4. Bishop Severino Pelayo (1985-1995) - First Military Ordinary. Originally a priest from Candaba, Pampanga.
5. Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles (1995-2005) - Second Military Ordinary. Later transferred to the Archdiocese of Lipa.
6. Bishop Leopoldo S. Tumulak (2005 - 2017) - Third Military Ordinary. Former Bishop of Tagbilaran, Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu and Titular Bishop of Lesvi.
