The provincial council of the Order of Carmelites in the Philippines announced the appointment of Rev. Fr. Fernando C. Lopez, O.Carm. to replace the late Rev. Fr. Pedro Manilag, O.Carm. in the council as its fourth canonical member.
With the death of Fr. Pedro last May 20, a vacancy in the council was declared.
See: Obituary of Fr. Pedro M. Manilag, Jr., O.Carm.
Fr. Pedro was elected as the third councilor of the province in the 2020 chapter. He’s term is supposed to end on 2023.
In a letter to the members of the Province, Philippine Carmelite Prior Provincial Very Rev. Fr. Rico P. Ponce, O.Carm. said that in keeping with the General Constitution of the Order (No. 373, par. 4) and the statutes of the province, the council is given the task to elect a replacement who will be holding office until the next provincial chapter.
Fr. Rico revealed that a dialogue was conducted by the Provincial Council with the local priors, asking them to submit three nominees to replace Fr. Pedro.
“In said survey, Fr. Fernando Lopez came out as the leading nominee,” the letter read.
The survey was deliberated by the council in its July meeting, leading to the appointment of Fr. Fernando as the fourth councilor, with Fr. Christian Buenafe, O.Carm. becoming the third councilor.
Fr. Fernando was a provincial councilor from 2014 to 2017. Currently, he is the president of Mount Carmel College of Escalante, Inc. (By Ritche T. Salgado, O.Carm.)
📸 From the Facebook of Fr. Lopez.