MANILA, Philippines — Former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Oscar Cruz died due to “multi organ failure caused by critical COVID-19 infection,” Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas revealed. The CBCP earlier announced that Cruz, who was the Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Emeritus, died Wednesday morning at the age of 85 due to a “lingering illness.”ADVERTISEMENTREAD: Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop emeritus Oscar Cruz dies at 85“Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz, Archbishop Emeritus of Lingayen Dagupan, died in the grace of the Lord today August 26, 2020 at 6:45 in the morning, due to multi organ failure caused by critical COVID19 infection, at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City,” Villegas said in a Facebook post. Villegas said the cremated remains of Cruz will be brought to the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist in Dagupan City. “Masses will be celebrated by the diocesan and religious clergy of Lingayen Dagupan the whole day,” the archbishop added. The funeral Mass will be held at 9 a.m. on August 28, Friday, at the Saint John the Evangelist Cathedral.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 26, 2020 05:15 UTC