March 11, 1939 marked the birth of Orlando Beltran Quevedo in Laoag, Ilocos Norte. He subsequently developed a long career within the Catholic Church, eventually becoming the first cardinal from the island of Mindanao. His leadership roles spanned various administrative positions within the Philippine ecclesiastical hierarchy over several decades of service.
Education and Early Priesthood
Quevedo attended the Laoag Shamrock School starting in 1945 before moving to the Marbel Central Elementary School in Koronadal, where he graduated in 1950. He completed his secondary education at Notre Dame High School between 1950 and 1954. His religious studies commenced at San José Seminary, followed by a novitiate in Mission, Texas. In 1960, he earned a degree in philosophy. He continued his academic preparation at the Oblate College in Washington, D.C., obtaining an S.T.B. and an MA in Religious Education. His ordination as a priest for the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate occurred on June 5, 1964, leading to an initial assignment as an assistant parish priest at Cotabato Cathedral.
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Pope John Paul II appointed Quevedo as Bishop-Prelate of Kidapawan on October 28, 1980, a position that later evolved into the title of Bishop of Kidapawan upon the prelature's elevation to a diocese. He transitioned to the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia in Ilocos Sur on March 22, 1986. His career further advanced on May 30, 1998, when he received the appointment of Archbishop of Cotabato. He served in this capacity until his resignation was accepted by Pope Francis on November 6, 2018, at which point Angelito Lampon succeeded him.
Service as Cardinal and Institutional Roles
On January 12, 2014, Pope Francis selected Quevedo to join the College of Cardinals. He was officially inducted during the February 22, 2014, consistory and assigned the titular church of Santa Maria Regina Mundi a Torre Spaccata. His institutional involvement included memberships in the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue. Beyond these roles, he served as the president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines and as the secretary-general of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences. In 1994, he was elected to the General Council of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops in Rome.
Fast facts
- Born: March 11, 1939, Laoag, Ilocos Norte
- Ordained Priest: June 5, 1964
- Appointed Bishop: 1980
- Archbishop of Nueva Segovia: 1986
- Archbishop of Cotabato: 1998-2018
- Created Cardinal: 2014
- Citizenship: Philippines
Questions readers ask
When did Orlando Beltran Quevedo stop serving as a cardinal-elector?
He ceased to be a cardinal-elector upon reaching his 80th birthday in 2019.
What specific archdioceses did he lead during his career?
He served as the Archbishop of Nueva Segovia starting in 1986 and as the Archbishop of Cotabato from 1998 to 2018.
