Antonio Ledesma

{{Infobox Christian leader

| honorific-prefix = The Most Reverend

| name = Antonio J. Ledesma

| honorific-suffix = S.J., D.D.

| archbishop_of = Archbishop Emeritus of Cagayan de Oro

| image =

| caption =

| province = Ecclesiastical Province of Cagayan de Oro

| see = Cagayan de Oro

| enthroned = 4 March 2006

| ended = 23 June 2020

| predecessor = Jesus Tuquib

| successor = Jose Cabantan

| ordination = 16 April 1973

| consecration = 31 August 1996

| consecrated_by = Gian Vincenzo Moreni

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1943|03|28}}

| birth_name =Antonio Javellana Ledesma

| nationality = Filipino

| birth_place = Iloilo City, Commonwealth of the Philippines

| death_date =

| death_place =

| buried =

| religion = Roman Catholicism

| residence = Archbishop's House
Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

| parents =

| previous_post = Vice-President,
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines;
Prelate of Ipil;
Coadjutor Prelate of Ipil

| education =

| alma_mater = Ateneo de Manila University (undergraduate)
University of the Philippines (M.A.)
University of Wisconsin–Madison (Ph.D.)

| motto = "Opus Solidaritatis Pax" (Peace is the Fruit of Solidarity)

| signature =

| coat_of_arms = Archb. Antonio Ledesma Arms, correct heraldic design.svg

}}

{{Infobox bishop styles

| bishop name = Antonio J. Ledesma

| dipstyle = The Most Reverend

| offstyle = Your Excellency

| relstyle = Archbishop

| deathstyle =

| image = Archb. Antonio Ledesma Arms, correct heraldic design.svg

| image_size = 150px

}}

Antonio Javellana Ledesma, {{post-nominals|post-noms=S.J.}} (born March 28, 1943) is a Filipino Roman Catholic clergyman who served as the Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro in the Philippines from 2006 to 2020.{{cite web |url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bcabantan.html |title=Bishop José Araneta Cabantan|publisher=Catholic-Hierarchy.org |accessdate=July 7, 2013}}

Early life

Born on March 28, 1943, in Iloilo City, Philippines.{{cite web| url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bledesma.html|title=Archbishop Antonio Javellana Ledesma, S.J.|publisher=Catholic-hierarchy.org|date=|accessdate=2017-02-22}} He spent his elementary years at St. Aloysius School and later at the Ateneo de Manila. Since then, he remained with the Ateneo until he finished his degree in history and government, graduating magna cum laude in 1963.{{cite web| url=http://www.cbcponline.net/bishops/archbishops/ledesma.html|title=MOST REV. ANTONIO JAVELLANA LEDESMA, SJ, D.D.|publisher=Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines|date=|accessdate=2017-02-22}}

He studied philosophy and theology at the Loyola House of Studies from 1966 to 1968 and from 1970 to 1973, respectively. He attained his master's degree in political science from the University of the Philippines. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the United States, completing his doctorate in development in 1980.{{cite web| url=http://www.cbcponline.net/bishops/archbishops/ledesma.html|title=MOST REV. ANTONIO JAVELLANA LEDESMA, SJ, D.D.|publisher=Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines|date=|accessdate=2017-02-22}}

Ministry

=Priesthood=

On May 30, 1963, Ledesma entered the Society of Jesus. He was ordained priest on April 16, 1973.{{cite web| url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bledesma.htmll|title=Archbishop Antonio Javellana Ledesma, S.J.|publisher=Catholic-hierarchy.org|date=|accessdate=2017-02-22}}

He served as an assistant parish priest in Siay, Zamboanga Sibugay, from 1980 to 1981. From 1982 to 1996, he worked as a professor and was assigned to various positions in Xavier University. He taught sociology, economics, and religious studies.{{cite web| url=http://www.cbcponline.net/bishops/archbishops/ledesma.html|title=MOST REV. ANTONIO JAVELLANA LEDESMA, SJ, D.D.|publisher=Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines|date=|accessdate=2017-02-22}}

class="wikitable sortable"
Position ! Term of Office ! Organization
Dean \| 1984-1994 \| College of Agriculture, Xavier University
Director \| 1984-1994 \| Southeast Asia Rural Social Leadership Institute
Director \| 1984-1996 \| Xavier University College of Agriculture – Manresa Farm Complex
Executive Vice President \| 1984-1996 \| [http://www.xu.edu.ph/xavier-science-foundation Xavier Science Foundation]
Executive Vice President \| 1994-1996 \| Xavier University
Dean \| 1994-1996 \| College of Arts and Sciences, Xavier University

class="wikitable sortable"

Position

! Term of Office

! Organization

Dean

| 1984-1994

| College of Agriculture, Xavier University

Director

| 1984-1994

| Southeast Asia Rural Social Leadership Institute

Director

| 1984-1996

| Xavier University College of Agriculture – Manresa Farm Complex

Executive Vice President

| 1984-1996

| [http://www.xu.edu.ph/xavier-science-foundation Xavier Science Foundation]

Executive Vice President

| 1994-1996

| Xavier University

Dean

| 1994-1996

| College of Arts and Sciences, Xavier University

During the same period, he sat as chairman of different societies and non-governmental organizations.{{cite web| url=http://www.cbcponline.net/bishops/archbishops/ledesma.html|title=MOST REV. ANTONIO JAVELLANA LEDESMA, SJ, D.D.|publisher=Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines|date=|accessdate=2017-02-22}}

class="wikitable sortable"
Position ! Term of Office ! Organization
Chairman \| 1985-1986 \| Philippine Sociology Society
Chairman \| 1985-1990 \| Philippine Partnership for the Development Of Human Resources in Rural Areas
Chairman \| 1984-1996 \| Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development
Chairman \| 1994 \| Philippine Agrarian Reform Foundation for National Development

class="wikitable sortable"

Position

! Term of Office

! Organization

Chairman

| 1985-1986

| Philippine Sociology Society

Chairman

| 1985-1990

| Philippine Partnership for the Development Of Human Resources in Rural Areas

Chairman

| 1984-1996

| Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development

Chairman

| 1994

| Philippine Agrarian Reform Foundation for National Development

=Episcopate=

Pope John Paul II appointed Ledesma as Coadjutor Prelate of Ipil on June 13, 1996.{{cite web |url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bledesma.html |title=Archbishop Antonio Javellana Ledesma, S.J. |publisher=Catholic-Hierarchy.org |accessdate=July 7, 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://directory.ucanews.com/bishops/archbishop-ledesma/401|title=Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro|publisher=UCA Directory: Database of Catholic Dioceses in Asia|accessdate=February 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223042804/http://directory.ucanews.com/bishops/archbishop-ledesma/401|archive-date=February 23, 2017|url-status=dead}} He succeeded Federico O. Escaler as the Prelate of Ipil on June 28, 1997.

On March 4, 2006, he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro. During his term, he has led the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines as Chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Inter-religious Dialogue since 2009.{{cite news|last1=Alave |first1=Kristine |title=Bishop: Guard vs extremists derailing peace in Mindanao |url=http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20080807-153268/Bishop-Guard-vs-extremists-derailing-peace-in-Mindanao |accessdate=February 22, 2017 |publisher=Inquirer.net |date=August 7, 2008 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917120349/http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20080807-153268/Bishop-Guard-vs-extremists-derailing-peace-in-Mindanao |archivedate=September 17, 2008 }}{{cite web|url=http://directory.ucanews.com/bishops/archbishop-ledesma/401|title=Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro|publisher=UCA Directory: Database of Catholic Dioceses in Asia|accessdate=February 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223042804/http://directory.ucanews.com/bishops/archbishop-ledesma/401|archive-date=February 23, 2017|url-status=dead}} He has convened local religious leaders in inter-religious dialogues on different social issues.{{cite web |url=http://www.mormonnewsroom.ph/article/cdo-mormon-leaders-meet-with-archbishop-ledesma|title=CDO Mormon Leaders Meet with Archbishop Ledesma|publisher=Mormon Newsroom Philippines|date=February 9, 2015|accessdate=February 22, 2017}} In the aftermath of Typhoon Sendong and in the absence of local government leadership, he led the multi-sectoral relief effort to address the needs of calamity victims.{{cite web |url=http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/121071/cdo-mayor-faces-brewing-protest-storm|title=CDO mayor faces brewing protest storm|publisher=Inquirer.net|date=January 2, 2012|accessdate=February 22, 2017}}

During the 2016 Philippine Presidential Elections, he wrote a pastoral letter calling out presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte for his inaction on the rising number of extrajudicial killings in Davao City where the latter was mayor.{{cite news|last1=Gonzales|first1=Yuji Vincent|title=Senior Mindanao prelate calls out Duterte in pastoral letter|url=http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/783188/senior-mindanao-prelate-calls-out-duterte-in-pastoral-letter|accessdate=February 22, 2017|publisher=Inquirer.net|date=May 4, 2016}} One month into the presidency of eventual winner Duterte, Ledesma made a call to stop extrajudicial killings. He said:{{cite news|last1=Orias|first1=Pamela Jay|title=Killings should not be justified, says Oro Archbishop Ledesma|url=http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2016/07/30/killings-should-not-be-justified-says-oro-archbishop-ledesma|accessdate=February 22, 2017|publisher=SunStar Cagayan de Oro|date=July 30, 2016}}

{{cquote|We condemn the killings because it is not only against the law, but also to the Constitution and morality. Killing without due process is certainly condemnable… We should all respect dignity of human life.}}

Ledesma has also supported efforts to resolve Mindanao's protracted struggle with Muslim separatists. He has spoken and advocated for the Bangsamoro Basic Law.{{cite web|url=http://www.feu.edu.ph/manila/index.php/the-price-of-peace-in-mindanao-starts-with-ourselves-archbishop/|title="The price of peace in Mindanao starts with ourselves," – His Excellency Archbishop Ledesma|publisher=Far Eastern University|accessdate=February 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223042526/http://www.feu.edu.ph/manila/index.php/the-price-of-peace-in-mindanao-starts-with-ourselves-archbishop/|archive-date=February 23, 2017|url-status=dead}}

On June 23, 2020, Pope Francis accepted his retirement as Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro and was succeeded by then-Malaybalay Bishop Jose Cabantan.