The Diocese of Tagbilaran is set to reassign over 120 diocesan priests in June as part of its regular reshuffling which will be the first under the leadership of Bishop Abet Uy, a local Church official said Friday.

According to Fr. Algerio Paña, chancellor of the Diocese of Tagbilaran, almost all priests of the diocese will have new posts by June 8, 2021 as directed by Uy.

Only about 10 priests who are holding special assignments that have specific credential requirements will be retained.

“Mga napo ra siguro ng dili mabalhin sa pagkakaron tungod sa panginahanglan pero tanang parish priest apil. Ang tanan 58 ka mga parokya bag-o g;yud na og parish priest,” he said.

Chaplains of various institutions such as those assigned in hospitals and government agencies will also be covered by the reshuffling.

The new assignments are expected to be announced on May 1, or earlier.  

Uy has not yet made a formal announcement regarding the reshuffling, but preparations have already been made for the activity including the conduct of inventories of properties and records.

According to Paña, it is a bishop’s decision as to how often a reshuffling is done by a diocese.

Uy, for his part, decided to reshuffle priests every four years, shortening the gap from six years during the term of then-Bishop Leonardo Medroso.

This will be the first reshuffling under Uy as priests were newly reassigned when he took over as bishop of the diocese in 2017.

Paña said that the regular reshuffling was instituted only in “modern times,” as priests previously held their posts for more than a decade.

“Ang tuyo anang reshuffling ipakita na the priest belongs to the entire Church not to a place, you are not a property of Taloto, you are not a property of Bool,” said Paña. (Rey Tutas)