Archbishop Julius Sullan Tonel

Archbishop-elect Julius Sullan Tonel was born in Davao City, Philippines, on 31 August 1956. He attended the seminary in Davao and Manila, and was ordained a priest for the archdiocese of Davao on 12 April 1980. He first served as parish vicar and director of the Family Apostolate, and subsequently studied for a licentiate in liturgical theology at the Pontifical Saint Anselm Athenaeum in Rome (1986-1990). He went on to serve as director of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Centre and vice rector, professor, and spiritual director of the Major Regional Seminary of Davao (1992-1997), of which he became rector in 1997. From 2002 to 2007 he was parish priest and vicar general of the archdiocese of Davao. On 30 June 2007 he was elected bishop-prelate of Ipil, and was consecrated the following 20 August. He then became ordinary of the same circumscription with the erection of the new diocese in 2010. Within the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, he chairs the Episcopal Commission for Healthcare.