José María Delgado
Dr. José María Delgado was the first Philippine Ambassador to the Vatican. He was the cousin of Francisco Afan Delgado, descendant of General Martín Teófilo Delgado.
Early life
Delgado was born on 1887 in the Philippine city of Malolos. He was the fourth child of Juan Fausto Delgado and Eustaquia Salcedo y Concepción. He married Felisa Concepción by whom he has four boys: Jose, Jesus, Francisco, Antonio and four girls: Milagros, Pilar, Filomena, Teresita.Career
In 1923, he returned to Manila and resumed his practice with old friends and classmates, establishing his own clinic in the city. It was during this period of his life that he began teaching obstetrics, pediatrics and gynecology at the University of Santo Tomas, while lecturing on medical ethics, sociology, anthropology, apologetics and religion. This would be a career path that would continue for 27 years and would earn him the distinction of being the only layman teaching theology.Delgado was appointed as the first resident ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the Holy See in 1957. A post that his son Antonio C. Delgado would also hold. Written about Ambassador Delgado in a special issue of the Manila Chronicle, January 31, 1969 by Francisco De Leon:
In 1966, he authored a book "Fe Y Patria," Discursos, conferencias y articulos.
Among some of the awards received through the life of Dr. José María Delgado:
- Most Outstanding Physician by the Philippine Federation of Private Medical Practitioners
- Medal of Catholic Action of the Philippines, Pope Pius XI
- Medal of the Pilgrims to Jerusalem
- Papal Knight with decoration “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice”
- Knight of the Grand Cross
- Order of Pius IX
- Golden Cross Award by The University of Santo Tomas