ILOILO City – Jaro Archbishop Midyphil Billones received a pallium — symbol of his authority and unity with the Pope — directly from Pope Leo XIV during the solemn Mass for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul at Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Sunday, June 29.
Billones was among 48 newly appointed metropolitan archbishops from across the globe who were bestowed the pallium by Pope Leo XIV in a rare Vatican rite that marked a return to tradition.
The vesting ceremony, historically conducted in Rome, had been decentralized under Pope Francis in 2014 to emphasize the archbishop’s local mission. However, Pope Leo XIV has reinstated the Vatican bestowal as a reaffirmation of the archbishop’s direct connection to the Holy See.
The pallium, a narrow woolen band worn over the shoulders, symbolizes the archbishop’s shared responsibility with the Pope in shepherding the Church and signifies the bearer’s communion with Christ and allegiance to the Chair of Peter.
“We send our heartfelt prayers and congratulations to Archbishop Midyphil Billones as he receives this sacred sign of shepherding for the Metropolitan Province of Jaro — as its pastor and companion,” the Archdiocese of Jaro said in an official statement.
Following the ceremony, Archbishop Billones was welcomed at the Pontificio Collegio Filipino in Rome, where a simple thanksgiving gathering was held in his honor. Among those present were Archbishop Ryan Jimenez of Agaña, Guam; Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle; and members of the Filipino clergy and community in Rome.
Billones, the seventh archbishop of the Archdiocese of Jaro, officially assumed office on April 2, succeeding Archbishop Emeritus Jose Romeo O. Lazo. He is expected to return to Iloilo bringing with him the papal blessing and the pallium — symbols of his pastoral mission to lead, unify, and care for the faithful of the Metropolitan See./PN
