Bishop Jose Araneta Cabantan was born in June 19, 1957 in Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental to Francisco and Juanita Araneta Cabantan (both deceased), Bishop-Elect Cabantan began his education at Lagonglong Elementary School and continued at St. John the Baptist High School, a in Lagonglong, Mismis Oriental. He worked as a chemical engineer after finishing at the Cebu Institute of Technology. He entered at San Jose de Mindanao Seminary in 1983. And finished his theological studies in St. John Vianney Theological Seminary.
Bishop Cabantan was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro on April 30, 1990 by Archbishop (now Archbishop-Emeritus) Jesus B. Tuquib before pursuing post-graduate studies at the Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University.
Bishop-Elect Cabantan, after his ordination and installation, will shepherd a diocese of roughly 1.1 million Catholics and 45 parishes. Presently, Malaybalay has been known to deal mainly with environmental issues. “My appointment to this diocese I believe spurs me on to continue what we have been doing here in the archdiocese. All I can say is that God must have prepared me for this advocacy,” says Bishop-Elect Cabantan, who is no stranger to environmental concerns after spending almost 3 years as Director of Social Action in Cagayan de Oro.
His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, has appointed Rev. Fr. Jose Araneta Cabantan as Bishop of Malaybalay. Fr. Cabantan, 52, has served as both parish priest of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Parish in Lumbia and Vicar General of the Ad Extra Ministries of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro since 2006. He will be the 5th Bishop of the See of Malaybalay and the first diocesan priest from Cagayan de Oro to be elevated to the office. He succeeds his eminence Bishop-Emeritus Honesto Ch. Pacana, S.J., whose retirement has been accepted on February 18, 2010.
Bishop-Elect Cabantan’s episcopal ordination will be conferred by His Excellency, Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines (main consecrator), together with co-consecrators Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J., and Bishop-Emeritus Pacana at the Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral last April 30, 2010.
