Jesus Y. Varela is a Filipino prelate of the Catholic Church.
Background
He was born on December 18, 1927, in Bacolod City, the son of Vicente Varela, a judge from Bago City within the same province of Negros Occidental. He is a direct descendant of Gregorio Varela, a Spaniard who was one of Bago City"s founding fathers, and through Gregorio"s wife Josefa Araneta he is a distant relative to the revolutionary Juan Araneta.
Education
Varela attended the Colegio Delegate Sagrado Corazon in Iloilo City for kindergarten, and the Iloilo Normal School for half of his elementary years. He studied at the Sorsogon National High School between 1946 and 1949, after which he studied for three years at the Our Lady of Peñafrancia Minor Seminary.
Career
He became the Bishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sorsogon on his retirement on April 16, 2003. He was appointed bishop of Sorsogon on November 27, 1980 Prior to that he served as the first ever sitting Bishop of then Diocese of Ozamis. He also served as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zamboanga and titular Bishop of Tatilti.
When his father was appointed a provincial judge in Surigao, he transferred to the Surigao Elementary School.
The family later moved to Sorsogon when his father was reassigned. Later, he also studied in the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, earning a Ph.L. degree in 1952.
Between 1958 and 1961 he completed coursework at the University of the Angelicum in Rome. Varela was ordained on March 17, 1956 in Cebu City, where his father last served as a Provincial Judge.
In addition to his service as a bishop, Varela was involved in broadcasting.
In 1972, he served as the Vice President of UNDA, a Catholic radio and television organization, and in 1974 he became its president He was also President of the Philippine Federation of Catholic Broadcasters, and used this position to criticize President Ferdinand Marcos, at a time when all media were censored or under the direct control of the government. 1956-1958- Chaplain, Agriculture College, Pili, Camarines Sur
1956-1957- Curate, Pili, Camarines Sur
1957-1958- Archdiocesan Vice Chancellor, Caceres
1961-1963- CATWELO/CBCP Assistant
Secretary General, Manila
1963-1965- Archdiocesan Chancellor, Caceres
1967-1975- Cursillos de Cristiandad/Archdiocesan Director, Caceres
1967-1971- Auxiliary Bishop, Zamboanga
1968-1972- Member, CBCP Administrative Council
1971-1981- Diocesan Bishop, Ozamis
1972
Vice President, UNDA Philippines
President, Philippine Federation of Catholic Broadcasters
1974- President, UNDA Philippines
1980-1994- Diocesan Bishop, Sorsogon
1982–present
Chairman, Episcopal Commission on Family and Member, CBCP Permanent Council.
Membership
He also serves as Chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Family and, of the Catholic Bishops" Conference of the Philippines, and is a member of its permanent council (to which all Filipino Roman Catholic bishops belong).