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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Naval (Lat: Dioecesis Navaliensis) is a diocese of the Roman Rite of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. Its cathedral is in Naval, Biliran in the Eastern Visayas. Its territory includes the whole island of Biliran and the four towns at the northwestern tip of Leyte Province.
Diocese of Naval
Dioecesis Navaliensis
Diyosesis han Naval
Diyosesis sa Naval Diyosesis ng Naval
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| Catholic | |
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Coat of arms
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| Location | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Territory |
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| Ecclesiastical province | Palo |
| Metropolitan | Palo |
| Coordinates | 11°33′41″N 124°23′42″E / 11.56134°N 124.39501°E / 11.56134; 124.39501 |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 1,005 km2 (388 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2021) 410,670 370,734[1] (90.3%) |
| Parishes | 15 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 29 November 1988 |
| Cathedral | Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral, Naval |
| Patron saint | Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary[2] |
| Secular priests | 28 |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Rex Cullingham Ramirez |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | John F. Du |
| Vicar General | Msgr. Venancio Sosing |
| Bishops emeritus | Filomeno G. Bactol |
| Statistics from Catholic-Hierarchy.org | |
Erected in 1988, the diocese was created from territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palo, to which the diocese remains a suffragan. The first appointed bishop was Filomeno Bactol (1988–2017). On October 13, 2017, his retirement was accepted by the Pope two years after reaching the mandatory age of 75. Pope Francis appointed Rex Cullingham Ramirez, a priest from Archdiocese of Palo, as the new bishop of Naval. His episcopal ordination took place at the Palo Metropolitan Cathedral on January 9, 2018. He was canonically installed on January 12, 2018 at Naval Cathedral. Ramirez is the second bishop of the diocese.
The Cathedral School of La Naval was established in 1990 AD. It is the first catholic school in the diocese.
Marvyn Abrea Maceda, the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose de Antique in the Antique province of the Philippines, grew up in the Naval diocese and was a priest of the diocese before becoming the bishop of San Jose.
| No | Name | In office | Coat of arms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Filomeno Gonzales Bactol | 29 November 1988 – 13 October 2017 | 
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| 2. | Rex Cullingham Ramirez | 13 October 2017 – present | 
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