Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Davao

The Archdiocese of Davao (Latin: Archidioecesis Davaensis) is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. It is a metropolitan see in southern Mindanao. The archdiocese comprises the city of Davao, The Island Garden City of Samal, and the municipality of Talaingod in Davao del Norte.

Archdiocese of Davao Archdioecesis Davaensis Arsidyosesis sa Davao Arkidiyosesis ng Dabaw Arquidiócesis de Davao
Catholic
Davao Cathedral
Coat of arms
Location
Country	Philippines
Territory	Davao City Davao del Norte (Island Garden City of Samal and Talaingod)
Ecclesiastical province	Davao
Deaneries	7
Statistics
Area	2,443 km2 (943 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2021) 2,100,285 1,635,540[1] (77.9%)
Parishes	39
Information
Denomination	Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	December 17, 1949 (As Prelature) July 11, 1966 (As Diocese) June 29, 1970 (As Archdiocese)
Cathedral	Cathedral of St. Peter
Patron saint	Saint Peter
Secular priests	77
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Metropolitan Archbishop	Romulo Valles
Suffragans	Guillermo Dela Vega Afable (Digos) Abel Apigo (Mati) Medel Sacay Aseo (Tagum)
Auxiliary Bishops	George Beluso Rimando
Map
Jurisdiction of the metropolitan see within the Philippines.
Website
archdioceseofdavao.com

Under its jurisdiction are the three suffragan dioceses of Digos, Tagum, and Mati.

History

Former Coat of arms of then-diocese of Davao (as illustrated in Philippine Studies)

The beginnings of the Archdiocese started with the arrival of the Augustinian Recollects in 1848 followed by the Jesuits soon after.^[2]

Its official beginnings came during its establishment as a Prelature Nullius on December 17, 1949, having the Archdiocese of Cebu as its Metropolitan. It was elevated into a diocese on July 11, 1966, and eventually became an archdiocese on June 29, 1970,^[3] taking as its titular patron saint Peter the Apostle whose feast day is celebrated also on June 29.

The official name given to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction is "Archidioecesis Davaensis" and San Pedro Cathedral Parish as the seat of the archbishop.

On December 29, 1954, Clovis Thibault was appointed prelate of the prelature of Davao.^[4] He was a priest of the Foreign Mission Society of Quebec. He became the first bishop and archbishop when the prelature was elevated into a diocese and later into an archdiocese. Antonio Lloren Mabutas, a native of Agoo, La Union, succeeded him on December 9, 1972.^[5] He was then succeeded by Fernando Capalla who first became Coadjutor Archbishop on June 28, 1994, and became its archbishop on November 6, 1996.^[6] The current archbishop of Davao is Romulo Valles, who was appointed in 2012.

Ordinaries

Archbishops

No	Name	In office	Coat of arms
1.	Clovis Joseph Thibauld	1954–1966 (as Prelate) 1966–1970 (as Bishop) 1970–1972 (as Archbishop)
2.	Antonio Lloren Mabutas	1972–1996
3.	Fernando Capalla	1996–2012
4.	Romulo Geolina Valles	2012–present

Auxiliary bishops

• Fernando Capalla (1975–1977)
• Pedro Rosales Dean (1977–1980)
• Generoso Cambronero Camiña (1978–1979)
• Patricio Hacbang Alo (1981–1984)
• Juan de Dios Mataflorida Pueblos (1985–1987)
• Alfredo Banluta Baquial (1988–1993)
• Guillermo Dela Vega Afable (2001–2002)
• George Beluso Rimando (2006–present)^[7]

Suffragan dioceses

• Diocese of Digos
• Diocese of Mati
• Diocese of Tagum

Statistics

As of 2021^[8]:

• Total Population – 1,953,049
• Catholic Population – 1,520,885
• Diocesan Priests – 77
• Religious Priests – 70
• Male Religious – 331
• Female Religious – 381
• Parishes – 39
• Vicariates – 7 ^{[citation needed]}
• Catholic educational institutions – 3 seminaries, 2 universities, 6 colleges, and 14 high schools ^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Catholic Church in the Philippines