Teofilo Bastida Camomot

For the municipality in the Philippines, see Carcar City, Cebu. For the school in the Philippines, see University of San Jose-Recoletos.
The Most Reverend Servant of God
Teofilo Bastida Camomot
D.D.
Auxiliary bishop of Jaro
Province Jaro
See Jaro
Installed 23 March 1955
Term ended 10 June 1958
Other posts Coadjutor Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro
Orders
Ordination 14 December 1941
Consecration 23 March 1955
Personal details
Birth name Teofilo Bastida Camomot
Born March 3, 1914
Cogon, Carcar City, Cebu
Died September 27, 1988(1988-09-27) (aged 74)
Bario Baho, San Fernando, Cebu
Nationality Filipino
Denomination Roman Catholic

Teofilo Bastida Camomot was a Roman Catholic archbishop from the Philippines. He was on March 3, 1914 in Carcar, Cebu. Camomot was ordained as a diocesan of the Archdiocese of Cebu on December 14, 1941. He was eventually appointed to help the metropolitan archbishop of Jaro as auxiliary bishop on March 23, 1955 at the age of 41 and was given the title as titular bishop of Clysma His ordination as prelate took place last May 29, 1955

At 44, he was appointed to become the coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro on June 10, 1958. He was given the title as titular archbishop of Marcianopolis. But for some personal reasons mainly health issues, while waiting for the seating archbishop to retire and have him succeed the cathedra, Archbishop Camomot resigned on June 17, 1970.

Archbishop Teofilo Camomot died due to a vehicular while travelling the road of barangay Baho, San Fernando town in Cebu on September 27, 1988 at the age of 74.

Holiness and Cause for Beatification

He served as a priest of Carcar, Cebu

Cebu archbishop emeritus Ricardo Jamin Vidal announced last October 15, 2010 that the Holy See have approved the opening for the cause of beatification and will pave the way for the examination of the life of Archbishop Camomot. Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal formed the commission to look into the possibility of beatification last December 27, 2010. Members of the commission are retired Bishop Antonio Ranola, Monsignor Dennis Villarojo, Monsignor Raul Go, Rev. Jasper John Petralba, and Trinidad Calleno.

His simplicity was attested by so many people even fellow prelates. There were many stories about the Archbishop's Francisan-like poverty. Cardinal Vidal have once told that on one occasion he noticed that Archbishop Camomot was not wearing his pectoral cross, the cross that a bishop wears on his breast. Curious, he asked Monsignor Camomot about it. He made some excuse. Later a priest told the Cardinal that the Archbishop had pawned his cross to give some money to the poor. The Cardinal later gave him a new cross and told him not to give it away.

Vidal said there were several testimonies about Camomot's bilocation or there were people who would see him present in two places at the same time.

The archbishop himself has signed an affidavit in relation to a witness' account on this phenomenon where Camomot was sleeping beside him at a meeting of the College of Consultors.

“I have already authenticated his presence at a meeting. But a woman said at that time he was on a mountain (in Carcar) giving the last sacrament to a dying person,” he said.

“He (Camomot) was at my left, and Archbishop (Manuel) Salvador-- discussing about the pastoral (thrust) of the diocese--at my right. I said 'Monsignor, we have a votation and you have to vote,’” he added. Cardinal Vidal said the investigation into the life of Camomot would continue even after his retirement. He assured that he will hand it over his successor,Archbishop Jose Palma. It was said that his body remained incorrupt twenty years after his death.

Farming Life

But Camomot never thought of becoming a priest. He merely wanted to become a farmer because he came from an agricultural community in Barangay Cogon in Carcar town, also in Cebu. Born on March 3, 1914, Camomot was the third son of a parish notary and a housewife. After finishing elementary school, he wanted to go to Mindanao to enroll in an agricultural school there. But his parents objected for fear that he might just become anybody’s errand boy. They knew that Camomot was an obedient child who didn’t know how to say no when someone asked his help. His half-brother, Fr. Diosdado Camomot, intervened and convinced him to enter the seminary. Teofilo was ordained on Dec. 14, 1941. Since then, he had been faithful to his vows, not only by preaching the name of Jesus Christ but also by acting as an alter-Christus in deed. He was a pastor of souls, a true shepherd who also looked after the material needs of his flock. After World War II, he was assigned as the parish priest of Talisay town. There, he did not only rebuild the St. Teresa of Avila church, which was destroyed by a bombing raid. For 12 years, he also rebuilt the living Church—the people—by conducting missions even up to the far-flung areas to bring his flock closer to God. It was in this parish assignment when his extraordinary generosity became prominent. Parishioners would approach him with various concerns. Those who needed his reassurance would receive kind words of encouragement. Those who needed more than just spiritual comfort never went home empty-handed. He was quick to dig into his pocket and never hesitated to give whatever he had, even if it was his last money bill. One anecdote has it that while doing mission work in a mountain barangay in a sutana (robe), he passed by one toddy gatherer on a coconut tree wearing shabby pants. Camomot gently called the man down, took off his own pants and gave it to the poor farmer. The man was bewildered, but it was the priest’s own nature to give away things he thought were most needed by others.[1]

  1. ↑ http://www.newsinfo.inquirer.net/557281/cebuanos-want-archbishop-beatified#ixzz2taeAe0Tc
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