Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Batanes

Territorial Prelature of Batanes Praelatura Territorialis Batanensis Prelatura Teritoryal ng Batanes Prelatura Territorial de Batanes
Cathedral at Basco
Coat of arms
Location
Country	Philippines
Territory	Batanes
Metropolitan	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuguegarao[1]
Statistics
Area	784 km2 (303 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics (including non-members)	(as of 2004) 16, 476 15, 505 (94.1%)
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Cathedral	Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Basco, Batanes
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Prelate	Most Rev. Danilo B. Ulep, D.D.
Metropolitan Archbishop	Most Rev. Ricardo L. Baccay, D.D.

The Territorial Prelature of Batanes (in Latin: Praelatura Territorialis Batanensis) is a Latin rite pre-diocesan, non-missionary jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuguegarao^[2] on Luzon island in the Philippines.

The Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral is the episcopal seat of the territorial prelate, in Basco, Batanes, Cagayan Valley. The current bishop-prelate is Most Rev. Danilo B. Ulep, D.D..

Statistics and territory[]

As per 2014, it pastorally served 16,647 Catholics (94.5% of 17,609 total) on 784 km² in 6 parishes and 1 mission with 9 priests (diocesan), 4 lay religious (4 sisters), 2 seminarians.

The prelature includes Batanes province and the municipality of Calayan in Cagayan Province. The territory is divided into six parishes. In 2004 there were 15,505 baptized about 16,476 inhabitants.

History[]

• It was erected on 30 November 1950 as Territorial Prelature of Batanes Islands and Babuyan / Batanen(sis) et Babuyanen(sis) (Latin), on territory split off from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Manila.
• On 29 June 1951 it became part of the ecclesiastical province of Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia.
• On 21 September 1974 it became suffragan of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao, its mother see.
• On 6 February 2002 renamed Territorial Prelature of Batanes / Batanen(sis) (Latin adjective).

Coat of arms[]

The silver crescent symbolizes the Immaculate Conception, the titular of the principal church in the prelature. The North Star together with the constellation of the Ursa major denotes that the prelature covers the northern-most part of the Philippines. Cattle is the most important export product of Batanes and Babuyan Islands hence the bull on pasture. The agitated sea symbolizes the dangerous waters between these islands.^[3]

Episcopal ordinaries[]

(all Roman Rite)

Prelates of Batanes and the Babuyan Islands

• Peregrin de la Fuente Nesta, Dominican Order (O.P.) (Spaniard) (2 July 1951 - death 14 May 1966), Titular Bishop of Mylasa (1951.07.02 – 1966.05.14)
• Father Mario de Leon Baltazar, O.P. (18 November 1966 - retired 1995), died 2012

Prelates of Batanes

• Paala Jose Salazar, O.P. (25 April 1996 - 23 November 2002), next Titular Bishop of Hippo Diarrhytus (2002.11.23 – 2004.05.29) as Auxiliary Bishop of Diocese of Butuan (Philippines) (2002.11.23 – 2003.06.11) and as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Lipa (Philippines) (2003.06.11 – 2004.05.29)
• Camilo Diaz Gregorio (13 September 2003 - retired 20 May 2017), previously Titular Bishop of Girus (1987.01.12 – 1989.05.20) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Cebu (Philippines) (1987.01.12 – 1989.05.20), Bishop of Bacolod (Philippines) (1989.05.20 – 2000.08.28)
• Danilo B. Ulep (20 May 2017 – ...), no previous prelature.

See also[]

• Catholic Church in the Philippines
• List of Catholic dioceses in the Philippines

References[]

Sources and external links[]

• GCatholic.org
• Catholic Hierarchy
• Prelature website