Diocese of Marbel
Diocese of Marbel Dioecesis Marbeliana Diyosesis sang Marbel Diyosesis sa Marbel Diyosesis ng Marbel | |
|---|---|
| Catholic | |
Koronadal Cathedral | |
Coat of arms | |
| Location | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Territory | South Cotabato (including General Santos; Sarangani; Sultan Kudarat ( only Milbuk, Palimbang) |
| Ecclesiastical province | Cotabato |
| Coordinates | 6°29′53″N 124°50′32″E / 6.49819°N 124.84220°E |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 10,000 km2 (3,900 sq mi) |
Population
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| Parishes | 31 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of Christ the King |
| Titular patron | Christ the King |
| Secular priests | 55 |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| Bishop | Cerilo U. Casicas, D.D. |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Charlie Inzon |
| Vicar General | Angelo R. Buenavides |
The Diocese of Marbel (Lat: Dioecesis Marbeliana) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines.
Erected in 1960, as the territorial prelature of Marbel, the prelature was elevated in 1982 to a full diocese. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Cotabato and is currently headed by Bishop Cerilo Uy Casicas on April 29, 2018 by Pope Francis.
South Cotabato occupies the southern portion of what used to be the entire province of Cotabato. This resulted from a political participation of the province into two Cotabato in 1967. The territory is bounded on the east by Davao del Sur, on the west by what is now Cotabato Province and the Moro Gulf, on the north by Cotabato alone and on the south by the Celebes Sea and Sarangani Bay.
It is also where Dole Philippines has over 80 square kilometers of pineapple plantations, and a sister company is involved in the production of Cavendish bananas. The pineapple cannery alone employs thousands of workers and is a major activity of the province. The fishing industry is also extending from the surrounding waters of Sarangani Bay and the Celebes Sea.
The capital city is Koronadal, formerly known as Marbel, hence the name of the diocese. It hosts the Cathedral of Christ the King, the seat of the Bishop of Marbel.