by Joel V. Ocampo
On October 20, 2024, the Most Rev. Arturo M. Bastes, SVD, DD., Bishop Emeritus of Sorsogon, passed to his eternal reward at 6:30 in the morning. Bishop Nonoy, as he was fondly called was eighty years old. He passed away, four years after his retirement on October 15, 2019.
Early Life of Bishop Bastes
Bishop Bastes was born on April 1, 1944 in Loboc, Bohol. He studied his primary education at the Loboc Central Elementary School (1950-1956), and secondary education at Christ the King Mission Seminary Quezon City (1956-1960). He studied Associate in Arts (A.A.) at the Christ the King Mission Seminary (1960-1962). He studied Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy (1964-1965) and Master of Arts in Philosophy (1965-1966) at the Divine Word Seminary, Tagaytay City.
For a year, he had his regency (Practice Teaching) at St. Augustine's Minor Seminary, Calapan, Oriental Mindoro from 1966-1967. Then, he continued his seminary formation and studied Theology in 1967-1971 at the Divine Word Seminary. He earned his Licentiate in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University (1971-1973), and Licentiate in Sacred Scriptures at the Pontifical Biblical Insitute (1973-1974), both in Rome, Italy. He also studied Italian, German, and French in various educational institutions from 1971-1972.
Ministry as a Priest
He was ordained a priest of Society of the Divine Word (SVD) on November 28, 1970. He was ordained by Pope Paul VI (now a saint), during his apostolic visit to the Philippines on November 27 to 29, 1970. In his homily, Pope Paul VI emphasized “You will be able to understand something of your priesthood by trying to comprehend two orders of relationships set up by it. The first order concerns the relationships with Christ which you have taken on by your priestly ordination…by virtue of the Sacrament of Orders you have become sharers in Christ’s priesthood, so that not only do you represent Christ, not only do you exercise his ministry, but you live Christ. Christ lives in you. Inasmuch as you are associated with him in a degree that is so high and so filled with a sharing in his mission of salvation…The second order of relationships linking you from now on to the Church is that with your bishop or superior, with the People of God, with persons, and also with the world. The priest is no longer for himself; he is for the ministry of Christ’s Mystical Body. He is a servant, an instrument of the Word and of grace. The proclamation of the Gospel, the celebration of the Eucharist, the remission of sins, the exercise of pastoral activity, the life of faith and worship, and the radiation of charity and holiness are his duty, a duty that reaches the point of self-sacrifice, of the cross, as for Jesus.”
As a priest, the then Fr. Bastes serve in the following ministries:
Professor, Divine Word Seminary, Tagaytay City (1975-1977, and 1978);
Parish Priest, Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte (1977-1978);
Parish Priest, Sta. Monica, Surigao del Norte (1978-1983);
District Superior, SVD Surigao District, Surigao del Norte (1982-1985);
Diocesan Pastoral Coordinator, Arnoldus Pastoral Office, Diocese of Surigao (1983-1985);
Vice-Provincial Superior, Southern Province of the SVD (1985-1987);
Vice-Rector, St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary, Davao City;
Branch Manager, Catholic Trade, Cebu, Inc., Davao City Branch;
Professor, St. Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary, Davao City (1985-1988);
Founder and Director, Paul VI Biblical Center for Mindanao Davao City (1985-1989);
Lecturer, Verbum Dei Pastoral-Biblical Course, Nemi, Rome, Italy (1989);
Episcopal Vicar, Siargao, Diocese of Surigao
Participant, Second Plenary Council of Philippines (1991);
Delegate, 14th General Chapter of the SVD, Nemi, Rome, Italy (1994);
Elected Provincial Superior of the Southern Province of the SVD (Aug. 24, 1994); and
Elected as Provincial Superior of the same Province for the "triennium" 1996-1999.
Ministry as a Bishop
On July 3, 1997, Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, Saint Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of the Diocese of Romblon. Then on August 21 of the same year, he was ordained bishop in Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, with †Ricardo Jamin Cardinal Vidal, the then Archbishop of Cebu as Principal Consecrator; and †Bishop Miguel Clarete Cinches, S.V.D., Bishop of Surigao, and †Bishop Leopoldo Sumaylo Tumulak, Bishop of Tagbilaran as Principal Co-Consecrators.
As part of Apostolic Succession, Bishop Bastes was one of the Co-Consecrators of Bishop Socrates C. Mesiona, M.S.P. (Vicar Apostolic of Puerto Princesa), and Bishop Jose Alan V. Dialogo (current Bishop of Sorsogon).
As a bishop, he served in the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines in the following ministries:
Member, Episcopal Commission on Doctrine of the Faith (1997-1999, and 2007-2009);
Vice Chairman, Episcopal Commission on Biblical Apostolate (1997-1999);
Member, Episcopal Commission on Liturgy (2001-2003, and 2005-2011);
Chairman, Episcopal Commission on Biblical Apostolate (1999-2009);
Member, Episcopal Committee on Basic Ecclesial Communities (2005-2009);
Vice Chairman, Episcopal Commission on Doctrine of the Faith (2005-2007);
Regional Representative, South Luzon (2009-2013);
Member, Episcopal Commission Biblical Apostolate (2009-2013);
Member, Episcopal Commission on Mission (2011-2013);
Member, Episcopal Committee on International Eucharistic Congresses (2013-2019);
Chairman, Episcopal Commission on Mission (2013-2019); and
Member, Episcopal Committee on Interreligious Dialogue (2017-2019).
Then on October 15, 2019, Bishop Bastes retired as a bishop.
During his years in the Episcopal Commission on Biblical Apostolate, the Basic Ecclesial Community Bible and the May They Be One (MTBO) Bible were published, in partnership with the Philippine Bible Society. Through these copies of the Bible, the Episcopal Commission for the Biblical Apostolate (ECBA) of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Philippine Bible Society (PBS), and other Christian Churches campaigned to distribute 5 million Bibles to 5 million poor Filipino homes.
Bishop bastes fulfilled his role, “an instrument of the Word and of grace” as he heard from St. Pope Paul VI who ordained him to priesthood. Now, after having fulfilled his mission on earth, Bishop Bastes marches with the angels on his way to heaven where the Master will welcome him saying, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy” (Mt. 25:21).
Let us pray.
O God, who chose your servant, Bishop Arturo M. Bastes from among your Priests, and endowed him with pontifical dignity in the apostolic priesthood, grant, we pray, that he may also be admitted to their company for ever. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
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