MANILA, Nov. 22 -- Pope Leo XIV has appointed Fr. Samuel Agcaracar as the fifth bishop of the diocese of San Jose de Nueva Ecija.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) News reported on Friday that the new bishop will succeed Bishop Roberto Mallari, who now heads the Diocese of Tarlac.

Before the appointment of the 55-year-old Agcaracar from the Societas Verbi Divini (SVD) congregation, the position had been vacant for nearly eight months.

The bishop-elect is the current rector of the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay City and provincial admonitor of the SVD Philippine Central Province.

Born in Claveria, Cagayan, Agcaracar was first a teacher while serving as a catechist in his home parish of St. Joseph.

He later e...