MANILA, Philippines – Three weeks before his episcopal ordination, a Filipino priest backed out of his appointment as a Catholic bishop, citing his “human limitations” and surprising a diocese that has had no shepherd for nearly a year.

Father Gerardo Fortich Saco Jr., 60, was supposed to be the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran, in the central Philippines, after his ordination and installation on May 26.

But at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Saco jolted the Diocese of Tagbilaran — and sent shockwaves nationwide — when he announced that he was backing out. This was over a month after Pope Leo XIV appointed him bishop of Tagbilaran on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation of Mary.

“After much prayer and careful discernment, I humbly inform the faithful of the Diocese of Tagbilaran of my decision not to proceed with my episcopal ordination scheduled on May 26, 2026,” Saco announced in a statement published by the diocese.

“I sincerely ask for your understanding regarding this change of heart. It comes from a deep awareness of my own human limitations and inadequacies,” he added.

He then assured the diocese of his continued commitment as a priest, “to journey with you in faith in the Risen Lord, who never abandons us in moments of trial in need.”

While it was normal for priests to decline episcopal appointments in private, it is the first time in recent history that a Filipino bishop made such an announcement in public — and at short notice.

Before Saco made his announcement, much preparation had already been made for his upcoming ordination. He already had an episcopal coat of arms, an official portrait in a bishop’s choir dress, and an episcopal motto taken from Matthew 14:27: “Take courage, it is I.”

On May 1, the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker — the patron of the Diocese of Tagbilaran — it was even Saco who led the pontifical Mass. Up until then, he was still introduced as “bishop-elect.”

Why it was surprising

The turn of events became more puzzling because Saco, a priest of the Diocese of Tagbilaran since 1993, is no stranger to running a diocese.

In fact, he had been the diocesan administrator, or officer-in-charge, since Oct. 4, 2025, after their former bishop was named the archbishop of Cebu.

Before this, Saco was the vicar general or the bishop’s right-hand man in the Diocese of Tagbilaran from 2023 to 2025.

Saco also had extensive pastoral experience as a parish priest in his diocese, as a missionary in Libya from 2001 to 2003, and as a visiting priest in a New York parish from 2003 to 2005.

Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy, the former bishop of Tagbilaran, said Saco has communicated his decision to Pope Leo XIV, who has then accepted Saco’s withdrawal. It was Uy whom Saco jokingly referred to as “the reason for all these,” in a speech that Saco delivered shortly after he accepted his appointment in March.

“This development has brought sadness to many of us, especially the faithful of the Diocese of Tagbilaran. Nevertheless, we respect Father Saco’s decision, trusting that it was made after deep and prayerful discernment,” Uy said.

Uy, 59, then called for prayers “for the timely appointment of a new bishop who will lovingly shepherd the Diocese of Tagbilaran,” which is a suffragan diocese of Cebu.

Bishop Crispin Varquez of the central Philippine diocese of Borongan — who was supposed to be Saco’s co-consecrator at his ordination — also promised prayers for Saco and his diocese.

“I was surprised by his decision. But I respect it. I admire his humility,” the 65-year-old Varquez told Crux Now.

One of the early indications of his sense of “human limitations,” however, was Saco’s speech after accepting the appointment: “Truly, I am not worthy. I am lacking in many aspects, but like many whom God has called before me, I trust that his grace is sufficient.”

A viral video also showed him kneeling down in tears while offering flowers to the Blessed Mother on the day of his appointment. The video, which was shared by Uy, received nearly 20,000 likes, indicating the level of interest that he has generated.

Mixed feelings

In a country where episcopal appointments are met with much fanfare, Saco’s decision was therefore also the subject of much online chatter. Crux Now quoted the following Facebook posts with the authors’ permission.

Elvieh Sarmiento, a churchgoer at the Diocese of Tagbilaran, said she saw Saco at a convent on Tuesday morning, when his withdrawal was publicized. Sarmiento embraced Saco and whispered that she “felt like crying” because of his decision. “I told him, ‘Wherever you are happy, we will still support you as always,’” she said.

Rey Barnido, who said Saco was their parish priest years ago, said that “it takes humility, a deep awareness and acceptance of one’s flaws, and courage” to say no to an episcopal appointment.

“But I applaud and salute Father Jingboy Saco for this well-discerned decision,” Barnido said. “I hope the people of the Diocese of Tagbilaran will accept this without demanding an explanation.”

In what he called an “unpopular take,” Father Richard Busaco pointed out that “our unworthiness is always there” but “is not a sufficient reason to refuse, or even to resist, the promptings of the Holy Spirit.” He said that “by human standards, no one is truly worthy,” but “in God’s design, He Himself makes worthy those whom he calls.”

“I respect Father Saco’s decision. At the same time, we must also balance this with reverence for the Church. Surely, there was a process — he was asked, given time to discern, and had accepted before any public preparations were made,” Busaco said.

“If we rely only on our personal capacity or our sense of inadequacy, then even apostolic succession would be at risk,” the priest added.

Saco’s decision sheds light on the fact that many priests decline to be appointed as Catholic bishops, even at a global level.

Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, former prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops, once said in a Vida Nueva interview that “30 percent of those chosen to be bishops reject the appointment.”

Filipino Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, former archbishop of Manila, also said in a 2019 interview that it is not unusual for priests to turn down episcopal appointments. “They know how big the responsibility of a bishop is,” said Rosales in an article by the news service of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

“You cannot violate their conscience,” said Rosales. “If they think they cannot do it, I will respect that.”