Julius Tonel

Julius Tonel was born on August 31, 1956, to Primitivo Estrada Tonel (+) and Filipina Coching Sullan (+), both hailing from the province of Aklan. He is the youngest of six siblings."Profile of Zamboanga Archbishop-Elect Julius S. Tonel", The Rite of Liturgical Reception and Canonical Installation of the Most Reverend Julius S. Tonel as the Seventh Metropolitan Archbishop of Zamboanga. Zamboanga City: Archdiocesan Liturgical Apostolate, Centro Pastoral, 2023, p. 5.

In 1972 he graduated in high school at the Saint Francis Xavier Minor Seminary. In 1976 he completed his philosophical studies at the Saint Francis Xavier College Seminary, Davao City; later he would proceed with his theological studies at the University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary in Manila."Profile of Zamboanga Archbishop-Elect Julius S. Tonel", ibid. p. 5.

On December 7, 1979, Julius Tonel was ordained to the diaconate by Cardinal Agnelo Rossi, then-Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, at Santo Domingo Parish in Quezon City. On April 12, 1980, he was ordained to the priesthood at Santa Ana Church in Davao City by Pedro Dean, Auxiliary Bishop of Davao."Profile of Zamboanga Archbishop-Elect Julius S. Tonel", ibid. p. 5.

In the initial years of his ministry in Davao City, Father Tonel would be designated as Parochial Vicar of St. Jude Thaddaeus Parish, and of the San Pedro Cathedral. Likewise, he would be appointed as Director of the Archdiocesan Family and Life Apostolate. From 1982 to 1986, he would be assigned as Prefect of Discipline and, later, as Rector of the Saint Francis Xavier College Seminary; he would also be working with the vocations promotion ministry of the Archdiocese."Profile of Zamboanga Archbishop-Elect Julius S. Tonel", ibid. p. 5.

From 1986 to 1990, Father Tonel would proceed with his postgraduate studies at the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy, Sant'Anselmo, Rome, completing a Licentiate in Sacred Liturgy. From 1990 to 2002, he would be assigned as a formator of the Saint Francis Xavier Regional Major Seminary of Mindanao (Davao City)—subsequently ministering as Spiritual Director, as Vice-Rector and Professor, and eventually as Seminary Rector in 1997.  At the same time, Father Tonel would be appointed to several ministries: as Director of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Center in Davao; as President of the Archdiocesan Commission on Basic Ecclesial Communities; and as a consultor at the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Liturgy. In 2002, he was appointed Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Davao. Concurrently as Vicar General, Monsignor Julius Tonel was also the Parish Priest of the Ascension of the Lord Parish in Matina, Davao City, for four years. Likewise, he would be serving as the Chaplain of the Shrine of the Holy Infant of Prague in 2004, and as Parish Priest of San Pablo Parish in Matina in 2006."Profile of Zamboanga Archbishop-Elect Julius S. Tonel", ibid. p. 5.

On June 30, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Tonel as the third bishop for the Prelature of Ipil. He received episcopal consecration at the San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City on August 20, 2007, with then-Archbishop Fernando Capalla as the principal consecrator, and assisted by then-Zamboanga Archbishop Romulo Valles, and then-Cagayan De Oro Archbishop (and former Bishop of Ipil) Antonio Ledesma, SJ. Tonel took possession of the Prelature on September 11, 2007, at the Saint Joseph the Worker Cathedral in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay."Profile of Zamboanga Archbishop-Elect Julius S. Tonel", ibid. p. 5.

With the elevation of the territorial Prelature of Ipil to the rank of Diocese, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Tonel as the first bishop of the Diocese of Ipil on May 3, 2010. From 2011 to 2016, he would also take office as the Chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Liturgy of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines."Profile of Zamboanga Archbishop-Elect Julius S. Tonel", ibid. p. 5.

On April 25, 2023, Pope Francis appointed Tonel to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Zamboanga as its seventh archbishop, succeeding the late Archbishop Romulo Dela Cruz, who served the post from May 2014 until his death from illness in December 2021.{{Cite web |date=27 April 2023 |title=New archbishop of Zamboanga in southern Philippines vows to 'do a lot of listening' |url=https://www.licas.news/2023/04/27/new-archbishop-of-zamboanga-in-southern-philippines-vows-to-do-a-lot-of-listening/ |access-date=18 June 2023 |website=LiCAS.news}}{{Cite web |date=26 April 2023 |title=Pope Francis names new archbishop of Zamboanga in southern Philippines |url=https://www.licas.news/2023/04/26/pope-francis-names-new-archbishop-of-zamboanga-in-southern-philippines/ |access-date=18 June 2023 |website=LiCAS.news}} Ahead of his installation, Tonel received the pallium — the symbol of his authority as metropolitan archbishop — on June 29, 2023, in Rome.{{Cite news|title=Tonel installed as Zamboanga archbishop |url=https://cbcpnews.net/cbcpnews/tonel-installed-as-zamboanga-archbishop/ |work=CBCP News |date=22 August 2023 |access-date=8 April 2025}} He was then installed on August 22, 2023, with Cardinal Jose Advincula, Archbishop of Manila presiding the Mass for his installation.{{cite news |last1=Jocson |first1=Liza |date=22 August 2023 |title=Tonel installed as new Zamboanga archbishop |work=Manila Bulletin |url=https://mb.com.ph/2023/8/22/tonel-installed-as-new-zamboanga-archbishop |access-date=27 August 2023}} He was also designated to the CBCP Permanent Council as the Regional Representative for South Mindanao on July 8, 2023.

At the 130th plenary assembly of the CBCP in Anda, Bohol, Tonel was elected as the vice president of the episcopal conference, succeeding Mylo Hubert Vergara. He is set to assume his position on December 1.{{Cite news|title=Philippine bishops elect Archbishop Garcera of Lipa as next president |work=CBCP News |date=2025-07-05 |url=https://cbcpnews.net/cbcpnews/philippine-bishops-elect-archbishop-garcera-of-lipa-as-next-president/ |access-date=2025-07-07 |location=Anda, Bohol}}

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{{wikiquote|Julius Sullan Tonel}}

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{{s-bef|before=Antonio Ledesma}}

{{s-ttl|title=Prelate of Ipil| years = September 11, 2007{{Spaced en dash space}}May 1, 2010}}

{{s-aft|after = Himself|as = Bishop of Ipil}}

{{s-bef|before = Himself|as = Prelate of Ipil}}

{{s-ttl|title=Bishop of Ipil|years = August 7, 2010{{Spaced en dash space}}April 25, 2023}}

{{s-aft|after=Glenn Corsiga}}

{{s-bef|before=Romulo Tolentino de la Cruz}}

{{s-ttl|title=Archbishop of Zamboanga| years = August 22, 2023{{Spaced en dash space}}present}}

{{s-inc|rows=2}}

{{s-bef| before= Mylo Hubert Vergara }}

{{s-ttl| title= CBCP Vice President-elect | years=July 5, 2025 – present
(assuming office on December 1, 2025)}}

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{{Philippine Roman Catholic archbishops}}

{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Ipil}}

{{Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zamboanga}}

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Category:1956 births

Category:21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the Philippines

Category:Living people

Category:Filipino Roman Catholic archbishops

Category:People from Davao City

Category:Pontifical Atheneum of St. Anselm alumni

Category:Roman Catholic archbishops of Zamboanga