Former CBCP head and Jaro archbishop dies at 81

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The soft spoken but no less outspoken Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) died Friday, July 8, 2022 at the age of 81.

The news was first confirmed via the official Facebook page of the Archdiocese of Jaro, Commission on Social Communications.

“Archbishop Angel Lagdameo returned to our Creator just this 8:30am at the age of 81. Let us include him in our prayers and masses,” the post said.

Reports indicated that Lagdameo died after a two-week confinement at the St. Paul’s Hospital in Iloilo City.

Sources cited that septicemia, septic shock, and disseminated intravascular coagulation following a surgery led to his death.

Lagdameo served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Jaro from May 9, 2000 to Feb. 14, 2018.

Born in Lucban, Quezon, he graduated at the San Jose Seminary of the Ateneo de Manila University and was subsequently ordained on Dec. 19, 1964.

Online sources indicated that Lagdameo served as chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission for the Laity and chairman of the National Committee for the Great Jubilee Year 2000 from 1990 to January 2000.

Two months later, the late Pope John Paul II appointed him as the 12th prelate and fifth Archbishop of Jaro.

He was installed in the Archdiocese of Jaro two months after.

Lagdameo presided an investigation that led to the canonization of Blessed Hannibal di Francia, founder of the Rogationist Congregation.

He served as CBCP president for a maximum of two terms – from Dec. 1, 2005 to Dec. 1, 2009.

Lagdameo lent his voice to causes protecting the environment, human rights, and other social issues even after serving the archdiocese.

Caused oriented groups recalled his bravery in standing to abuses and for taking the cudgels for the voiceless.