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Raul Bautista Dael
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Raul Bautista Dael

Bishop of Tandag
Bishop
1966
—
Ordained
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Consecrated Bishop
Tandag
Diocese
Philippines
Country
The Life

Raul Bautista Dael was born on October 10, 1966, in Jasaan, Misamis Oriental. He studied AB Philosophy at Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan from 1984 to 1988 and MA Theology at St. John Vianney Seminary in Cagayan de Oro, then earned a Licentiate in Theology in 2000 at the Loyola School of Theology of Ateneo de Manila after graduate studies from 1997 to 2000, and studied spirituality at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome from 2003 to 2009. He was ordained a priest in June 1993, at the age of 27, for the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, and began as parochial vicar of the city's St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral; in 1995 he became parochial administrator of St. Peter the Apostle parish in Sugbongcon, Misamis Oriental. He later served as professor and director of spiritual and pastoral formation at St. John Vianney Seminary, then as professor of pastoral theology there, and from 2016 as Vicar for Clergy of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro. Xavier University and the Manila Bulletin both give June 1993 only; the day June 7, 1993, is Wikipedia-only, so the dossier gives June 1993 without a day. His motto 'Duc in Altum' is Wikipedia-only and is not shipped; the Tandag diocese's social media uses #DucInAltum as a hashtag, which is suggestive, not a motto confirmation. His consecration on June 7, 2018, by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, with Ledesma and Odchimar as co-consecrators, is Wikipedia-only, citing Catholic-Hierarchy, and is flagged as such; no consecration venue is established in any source seen, so none is stated. The 'SSJV' postnominal on the Tandag diocese page is unexplained and is not expanded.

On February 26, 2018, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Tandag, accepting the resignation of Nereo Odchimar, who had served Tandag almost 17 years, had been CBCP president from 2009 to 2011, and remained as interim bishop until Dael's ordination. Dael is the third bishop of Tandag. He was installed, taking possession, on June 14, 2018, matching the roster row. Tandag was erected on June 16, 1978, from Surigao territory, is a suffragan of Cagayan de Oro, and has St. Nicholas of Tolentino as patron, with its new cathedral of the same name in Tandag City.

In the window, no governing act of his own concerning the 1962 Missal was found. His window record is preaching and advocacy: a March 2022 election homily insisting the Church would not endorse candidates but would help voters discern, delivered at a Mass attended by Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Francis Pangilinan with some 70 Tandag priests and UCCP and IFI leaders, and an April 2025 Earth Day message urging voters to choose leaders who value the environment over politics. The degradation detail in the Earth Day piece, large-scale nickel mining, illegal small-scale gold mining, and rampant logging, is Fr. Raymund Ambray's, the Integral Ecology Ministry director's, not Dael's. A Tandag TikTok New Year's Eve line and an October 11, 2026 YouTube homily title were snippet-only and are not cited.

Major Works & Initiatives
Election homily on non-partisanship and discernment, March 9, 2022
At a Tuesday noon Mass attended by Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Francis Pangilinan, Dael said the Church would not endorse candidates but would help voters discern, explaining that he had invited Robredo's slate so people could 'have a feel of their persons', and offering a similar event to other hopefuls. His own preaching, not a CBCP statement. A pastoral act, not a Traditionis custodes act.
Earth Day message on environmental leadership, April 13, 2025
At the interfaith and multi-sectoral 'Our Power, Our Planet' event at a closed illegal mining site on the upper Carac-an River in Barangay Lobo, Cantilan, organized by the Diocese of Tandag's Integral Ecology Ministry with UCCP and IFI leaders, Dael urged voters to choose leaders who value the environment over politics. A pastoral advocacy act, not a Traditionis custodes act.
In His Own Words
can never be neutral between lies and truth
In his election homily, Tandag, March 9, 2022. A fragment of the sentence 'the institution can never be neutral between lies and truth'.
We are trying to build up a new political culture. We want to form good electorates; electorates who will listen first to our candidates,
In his election homily, Tandag, March 9, 2022.
Say no to illegal mining. Say yes to protecting our watersheds. That is our right—and that is our future,
At the 'Our Power, Our Planet' Earth Day event, Barangay Lobo, Cantilan, April 13, 2025.
This is the kind of leader we should vote for—those who think beyond themselves and act for the greater good,
At the 'Our Power, Our Planet' Earth Day event, Barangay Lobo, Cantilan, April 13, 2025.
The Old Mass, See by See
Tandag2018-06-14 – presentNo act of his own
What he inheritedNo provision for the 1962 Missal inherited from Odchimar is established in the record.
Since the SSPX decree of 2 July 2026: No statement recorded as of 2026-10-28.
Reviewed 2026-10-28Confidence: medium
Domus Dei’s Verdict
The Bishop & the Mass of Ages
No governing act of his own found
References & Further Reading
1.
Vatican appoints Xavier Ateneo alumnus as new Bishop of Tandag in Surigao del Sur — Xavier University · 2018Born October 10, 1966, Jasaan, Misamis Oriental; AB Philosophy 1984 to 1988; MA Theology, St. John Vianney; priest June 1993, age 27; Sugbongcon 1995; Licentiate 2000, Loyola; Gregorian 2003 to 2009; Vicar for Clergy; appointment February 26, 2018; Odchimar almost 17 years, CBCP president 2009 to 2011, interim until ordination; Tandag erected June 16, 1978, patron St. Nicholas of Tolentino.
2.
New bishop of Tandag named by Pope Francis — Leslie Ann Aquino · Manila Bulletin via FreeLibrary · 2018Published February 27, 2018: born October 10, 1966, Misamis Oriental; Xavier philosophy; St. John Vianney theology; ordained 1993, age 27; Metropolitan Cathedral parochial vicar; Sugbongcon 1995; Licentiate 2000; Gregorian 2003 to 2009; Vicar for the Clergy; Odchimar interim; third bishop of Tandag. Prints 'Surigao de Sur', a typo, not copied.
3.
Tandag bishop: No endorsement of pols; Church to help voters discern choice — Philippine Daily Inquirer via FreeLibrary · 2022Published March 9, 2022: Tuesday noon Mass attended by Robredo and Pangilinan, some 70 Tandag priests, UCCP and IFI leaders; non-partisan framing; invitation so people could 'have a feel of their persons'; similar event offered to other hopefuls. Two quotations shipped, 32 words total; the longer passages on the same page are not stacked.
4.
Tandag Bishop: Choose leaders who value environment over politics — BusinessMirror · 2025Published April 19, 2025: Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025 message at the 'Our Power, Our Planet' event, Barangay Lobo, Cantilan, organized by the Integral Ecology Ministry with UCCP and IFI leaders. Two quotations shipped, 39 words total; the 40-word handouts passage is not stacked. The degradation detail is Ambray's, not Dael's.
5.
Four New Bishops in Four Months! — Davao Catholic Herald · 2018Published May 6, 2018: Dael among the four 2018 Mindanao appointments, succeeding Odchimar. Prints 'Cirilo Casicas', 'Nerio Odchimar', and 'St. John Mary Vianney'; none of those spellings is copied.
6.
Raul Dael — Wikipedia · 2026Tier-3: the motto Duc in Altum, the priesthood day June 7, 1993, and the consecration June 7, 2018, by Tagle with Ledesma and Odchimar as co-consecrators rest only here and are treated accordingly: the motto is not shipped, the priesthood is given as June 1993 only, and the consecration is flagged.
Portrait: Own work with elements from SajoR / Wikimedia Commons
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