Bishop Emeritus Christian Vicente Noel who was bishop of the Diocese of Talibon for nearly 28 years passed away at 2:44 a.m. on Sunday at the Perpetual Succor Hospital in Cebu City.
According to Rev. Fr. Rosdel Noel, Christian’s nephew, his uncle died of complications due to diabetes and prostate cancer at the age of 80.
Christian was hospitalized for his illness in late October, said the younger Noel.
Msgr. Joseph Tan, spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Cebu, said that Christian lied in state at the Tanchan Hall inside the compound of the archbishop’s residence in Cebu City starting yesterday.
Christian’s remains will then be taken to the Talibon Cathedral on November 30, he added.
For his part, Bishop Abet Uy of the Tagbilaran diocese, said that Noel’s family has decided to bury the late bishop on December 4 at 9 a.m. at the Talibon Cathedral.
Uy described Christian as a disciplinarian who was very pious and shared to the Catholic faithful the importance of praying.
Before retiring as Talibon bishop on June 20, 2014, Christian took various positions in the Catholic Church across the Philippines.
He was ordained priest at the age of 23 on March 18, 1961 at the town of Danao on March 18, 1961.
At the age of 44, he was ordained as a bishop on November 30, 1981 and five years later he was assigned to lead the Talibon diocese.
Christian was also a member of the Catholci Bishop Conference of the Philippines permanent committee on cultural heritage of the Church. (Rey Tutas)