Antonio Mabutas

(Redirected from Antonio L. Mabutas)

Archbishop Antonio Lloren Mabutas † (13 June 1921 – 22 April 1999) was the first bishop of Diocese of Laoag and the second Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Davao. He succeeded Clovis Thibault, PME on 9 December 1972. He was also the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines from 1981 to 1985.


Antonio Mabutas

J.C.D., D.D.
Archbishop of Davao
ProvinceDavao
DioceseDavao
SeeDavao
Installed9 December 1972
Term ended6 November 1996
PredecessorClovis Thibault
SuccessorFernando Capalla
Other post(s)Bishop of Laoag
Orders
Ordination6 April 1946
Consecration5 June 1961
by Salvatore Siino
Personal details
Born(1921-06-13)13 June 1921
Died22 April 1999(1999-04-22) (aged 77)
Davao City
Coat of armsAntonio Mabutas's coat of arms
Styles of
Antonio Lloren Mabutas
Reference styleHis Excellency
Spoken styleMonsignor

Although he was considered a conservative within the Catholic Church hierarchy,[1] Mabutas is noted to be the first Roman Catholic Archbishop to write a pastoral letter to criticize human rights violations under the Marcos dictatorship.[2][3]

Early years

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Born in Agoo, La Union, he was ordained priest on 6 April 1946 at the young age of 24. On 5 June 1961 he was appointed bishop of Laoag and was ordained a month after.

Archbishop of Davao

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Before becoming as Archbishop of Davao, the then-Most Rev. Antonio Ll. Mabutas was appointed coadjutor archbishop of Davao with Most Rev. Clovis Thibault, PME, JCL, DD as its first Archbishop. This was during the time the Diocese of Davao was elevated to the status of an Archdiocese. Before becoming the Archbishop of Davao, he served as titular archbishop of Valeria on 25 July 1970. He succeeded as the archbishop of Davao on 9 December 1972.

The pastoral letter he wrote on martial law, "Reign of Terror in the Countryside", citing human rights abuses and killings of church workers, is notable for having been the first pastoral to be written against Marcos' administration.[2][3]

Retirement and death

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He retired as archbishop of Davao on 6 November 1996. He died two and half years later at the age of 77 where he served as a priest for 53 years and a bishop for 37 years.

Legacy

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Some of Archbishop Mabutas' effects have been preserved, and are viewable to the public at the Museo de Iloko in his hometown of Agoo, La Union.[4]

See also

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References

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Memoirs of Antonio Ll. Mabutas: Archbishop of Davao, a Tambara Publication, Ateneo de Davao University, 1996

  1. ^ Youngblood, Robert L. (1993). Marcos against the church : economic development and political repression in the Philippines. Quezon City: New Day Publ. ISBN 971-10-0512-3. OCLC 312239945.
  2. ^ a b "Honoring Davao's Contributions to the Struggle for Rights, Freedom". Bantayog ng mga Bayani. Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  3. ^ a b Maglana, MAgz (10 July 2017). "VOICES FROM MINDANAO: Fear is not a good foundation for getting Mindanao out of the rut". MindaNews. Archived from the original on 8 February 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  4. ^ "South Circuit – Agoo, La Union". Provincial Government of La Union. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
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Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Position Established
Bishop of Laoag
1961–1970
Succeeded by
Rafael Montiano Lim
Preceded by Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
1981–1985
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Clovis Thibault
Archbishop of Davao
1972–1996
Succeeded by