Archbishop Oscar Cruz died at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City due to “multi organ failure caused by critical COVID-19 infection,” according to Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas. ADVERTISEMENTCruz was president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines from 1995 to 1999. However, Cruz suffered from pneumonia in recent years which forced him to leave his remaining posts at the CBCP. Expressing his mourning over the death of Cruz, Villegas lamented that “the world is poorer by his (Cruz) passing away.”“Heaven has a new jewel. My heart is grateful that in this lifetime I met a great churchman like Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz,” he also said.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 26, 2020 08:48 UTC