Julio Rosales

Julio Rosales y Ras, was a Filipino cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was the second archbishop of Cebu, and a former bishop of Tagbilaran.

Early life and ministry

He was born in Calbayog, Samar on September 18, 1906. He was a child of Basilio Rosales and Aqueda Ras. His brother, Decoroso Rosales, later became a senator of the Philippines, while his nephew Pedro Dean followed his footsteps and became archbishop of Palo.
Aspiring to become a priest, he entered the San Vicente de Paul Seminary in Calbayog, which was then under the management of the Vincentians. He was ordained by Bishop Sofronio Hacbang in his hometown on June 2, 1929. He started his ministry as an assistant parish priest in Catbalogan, Samar, and then for eleven years he was assistant parish priest at Tacloban, Leyte. He also served as director of the Tacloban Institute.

In 1946, Pope Pius XII appointed him as the first bishop of Tagbilaran. He was consecrated bishop of Tagbilaran on September 21, 1946 by Apostolic Delegate Guglielmo Piani, with Palo Bishop Manuel Mascariñas and Calbayog Bishop Miguel Acevedo as co-consecrators. As bishop of Tagbilaran, he facilitated the establishment of the Holy Name College by asking the help of the Divine Word Missionaries in forming a school in his diocese. To increase the clergy of his diocese, he also established the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in 1948.
On December 17, 1949, Rosales was appointed to the metropolitan see of Cebu. During his reign, in 1965, Cebu hosted the celebrations for the 400th anniversary of the Christianization of the Philippines.

Rosales was elevated to the college of cardinals by Pope Paul VI in the consistory of April 28, 1969 and given the titular church of Sacro Cuore di Gesù agonizzante a Vitinia. He also participated in both conclaves of 1978. He resigned the pastoral government of his archdiocese, on August 24, 1982 and died less than a year later in Cebu City, his beloved episcopal city.

Julio Rosales is buried at the mausoleum of the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral in Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines. His mementos are currently on display at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu.