Ruperto Cruz Santos, also known as Bishop Stude, (born October 30, 1957) is a Filipino prelate of the Catholic Church. Santos is the fifth and current Bishop of Antipolo since July 22, 2023. He is the president of the Episcopal Commission for Pastoral Care for Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines.
Prior to his current position, Santos previously served as priest of Archdiocese of Manila for 27 years from September 10, 1983 where he concurrently held the position as rector of Pontifical Filipino College while serving the former from 1999 to July 8, 2010. He then succeeded Socrates Villegas who became fifth Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan in Pangasinan on November 4, 2009 as fourth Bishop of Balanga in Bataan from April 1, 2010, to July 22, 2023 (installed or assumed office on July 8, 2010) as such making him the first bishop in the Philippines to start episcopate in the 2010s decade upon his appointment date to the position and on his last three years of serving the position, he was also the parish administrator of Diocesan Shrine and Parish of St. Nicholas Tolentino, Mariveles, Bataan from June 5, 2020, to June 4, 2023 making him the first diocese's bishop to hold the position of an administrator. With 13 years, 3 months, and 21 days, 4,860 days, or 14 calendar years as Bishop of Balanga, Santos is the diocese's longest-serving living and the second longest bishop overall after Celso Guevarra since October 4, 2015. As rector of the college, he was succeeded by Gregory Ramon Gaston on September 2, 2010.
Personal life and education Santos was born on October 30, 1957, in Caingin, San Rafael, Bulacan, to Norberto Santos and Aurelia Cruz Santos. He has three sisters, Maria Lourdes, Maria Corazon, and Rosalind, and a brother, Rodelio.
All of his siblings are married and have children – Maria Theresa, Maria Grace, Marco Paulo, Jaime Paulo, Nicole, Jacob, and PJ.
He received his primary education at Caingin Elementary School and completed his studies and seminary formation at Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary (high school) and at San Carlos Seminary in Makati (college and theology) in the Archdiocese of Manila.
Ministry 1983–2010: Priesthood Santos was ordained priest on September 10, 1983, at the Manila Cathedral by the Archbishop of Manila, Jaime Cardinal Sin.
During his 27-year tenure as priest of the Archdiocese of Manila from September 10, 1983, to July 8, 2010, he became parochial vicar at the Immaculate Concepcion Parish in Pasig (1983–1986), chaplain of Pasig Catholic College (1983–1987), priest at San Antonio Abad Church in Maybunga, Pasig (1986–1987), professor of church history, patrology, and homiletics at San Carlos Graduate School of Theology and Holy Apostles Senior Seminary in Makati, visiting priest at the EDSA Shrine and Our Lady of the Pillar Parish in Pilar Village, Las Piñas (1990–1997), prefect of discipline of the Philosophy Department of San Carlos Seminary (1990–1992), professor of church history at San Carlos Seminary (1990–1995), academic dean of San Carlos Graduate School of Theology, Library Director of San Gabriel Reyes Memorial Library at San Carlos Graduate School of Theology, chief archivist of the Manila Archdiocesan Archives and curator and director of the Manila Archdiocesan Museum (1992–1997), guest lecturer for novices and postulants in the mother house of the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres in Antipolo (1992–1995), consultor of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church in the Vatican (1995–2005), vice-rector and oeconomus of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome, Italy (1997–1999), rector of the same college (1999–2010), and national coordinator of the Italian Episcopal Conference for the pastoral care of Filipino migrants in Italy (2003).
After several years in the Archdiocese of Manila, he was sent to Rome in 1987 for further studies and took up his licentiate in church history at the Pontificia Universita Gregoriana.
In 2005, he became a member of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses in the Vatican. He has also written a number of books regarding historical interests published by the Archdiocese of Manila and regarding homilies, prayers, and spirituality published by St. Pauls Publishing.
2010–2023: Bishop of Balanga Pope Benedict XVI named Santos as fourth Bishop of Balanga on April 1, 2010, a Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, and Holy Triduum of that year, making him the first bishop in the Philippines to start the overall bishop tenure in the 2010s decade. He continued to serve as rector of Pontificio Collegio Filippino and priest of the Archdiocese of Manila until his installation into office as the diocese's bishop on July 8, 2010, ending the 8-month-and-3-days sede vacante period or vacancy of office from a day after his predecessor Socrates Villegas became Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan in Pangasinan on November 5, 2009, to July 2010 under diocesan administrator Victor Ocampo.
The preparation for Santos' assumption into office were made from July 5 to 8, 2010, the last four days of sede vacante period, which involved placing his coat of arms at the cathedra and floor of Balanga Cathedral, and modification of the cathedra. His installation ceremony on July 8, 2010, was presided by the then-Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Edward Joseph Adams and Archbishop of San Fernando, Pampanga Paciano Aniceto. Also present in the installation are Bishop of Malolos Jose Francisco Oliveros having jurisdiction over Valenzuela and Santos' home province Bulacan, Santos' predecessors Honesto Ongtioco (also the former priest of Archdiocese of San Fernando during Paciano's (installation ceremony's main presider) tenure from January 31, 1989, to June 18, 1998, and future sede vacante apostolic administrator of Malolos from May 11, 2018, to August 21, 2019) and Socrates Villegas, and outgoing administrator Victor Ocampo.
Santos decreed the creation and addition of five parishes, four more diocesan shrines (only Orani Church was the only diocesan shrine in the entire Diocese of Balanga by the time he was appointed as the diocese's fourth bishop on April 1, 2010, and assumed office three months later on July 8), and one minor basilica, national shrine and chapel were created during his tenure as bishop of the diocese, with Residencia Sacerdotal, Retirement Home for Priests (Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel) in Taglesville, Balanga started construction on late 2010 months after he assumed office on July 8 of that year and finished in 2011. He also designated old churches in Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay, Balanga City, Pilar and Orion as seven pilgrim churches that thousands of pilgrims from other provinces visit, especially during the Lenten season.
One month after Santos took office on July 8, 2010, he made few appointments on late 2010 at parishes and churches of the Diocese of Balanga, and that included the diocesan shrine and parish of St. Nicholas Tolentino (Mariveles, Bataan) where he appointed two parochial vicars or assistant priests for its rector and parish priest Msgr. Hernando Guanzon (last priest to be appointed by his predecessor Socrates Villegas in July 2009 at the said church) which are Rev. Fr. Jefferson A. Paule and Jhoen B. Buenaventura on August and October 2010, respectively.
Five and two months after Santos' start of overall position tenure and taking office of it respectively, Gregory Ramon Gaston succeeded him on September 2, 2010, as rector of the said college in Rome.
He made two quinquennial visit ad limina in Rome on December 2, 2010 (five months after starting office of the position upon installation) and May 20, 2019.
Changes to the Balanga Cathedral were made during under Santos' tenure which are the improvement of its patio and numerous vendors were discouraged within the cathedral's premises. Walls and fences outside the cathedral were changed in 2012. In 2013, a statue of St. Gemma Galgani was added as the 16th and latest statue to be installed outside the cathedral due to St. Gemma Galgani Church in Mt. View, Mariveles, Bataan became a parish on July 21, 2012, which included on a roster of the diocese's churches and parishes. In 2014, the Santuario de San Jose was blessed. The Sacrestia de San Jose underwent renovation and blessed in 2015. Pavement of the ground on the exterior was made from 2017 to 2018, and the belfry added the bricks in 2019. In 2020, the cathedral's roof were painted from green and white to red. The Cathedral Shrine's Rectory and Sacristy with its fence and patio were also built during his tenure. Months before his tenure ended on July 22, 2023, the cathedral's leftmost door was removed and replaced with a wall.
In 2015, he opened the first diocesan theology seminary called Virgen Milagrosa del Rosario College Seminary.
He founded a foundation named Ad Seminandum RCS 10 Foundation, Inc., with the name being a reference to his motto as bishop (Ad Seminandum), initials (RCS), and 10 being the month number of his birthday (October which is the 10th month of the year) and part of a number of a year when he became Bishop of Balanga (2010) and was disestablished when he stepped down the position and office on July 22, 2023. His motto is also used as the name of an award (Ad Seminandum Award - Bishop's Award).
Santos became a governing council member for Asia of the International Migration Commission, Vatican from 2015 to 2022.
He continued written a number of books regarding homilies, prayers, and spirituality published by St. Paul's (SSP). In addition to spiritual books, he also wrote about the Diocese of Balanga and its churches, and Bataan province where the diocese has jurisdiction with.
From June 5, 2020, to June 4, 2023, he served as parish administrator of the Diocesan shrine and Parish of St. Nicholas de Tolentino in Mariveles on a concurrent capacity, the first bishop to do so in the diocese. During his 3-year tenure as administrator of the parish church, he had six substitute priests which are the five priests of Sto. Niño Parish Church in Alas-Asin named Robert Laracas, Ponciano G. Balmes, Marvin Gomez, Gerald Cuenca and Christopher Alday (with Alday was demoted from being parochial vicar or assistant to simply a substitute priest under Regin L. Tenorio), and Jay Quicho. As in charge of the parish church, he initiated changes within the parish such as the change in mass schedules (with Sunday Mass being temporary), and changing of the church's facade and a new church bell from Royal Bells Philippines. On February 25, 2023, he declared and elevated the said church into a diocesan shrine.
Later in his tenure, he implemented two majestic versions of Gloria in excelsis Deo in the diocese which are the one used in World Youth Day 1995 papal mass with Pope John Paul II and 2007 version of the song in Filipino by Dom Benildus Maria P. Maramba, OSB and Misa Inmaculada Conception, respectively.
In 2022, the Quasi-San Antonio de Padua along Roman Superhighway in Orion began construction being the final church building to be constructed under his tenure, with it continued through Florentino Lavarias, Archbishop of San Fernando since October 27, 2014 as apostolic administrator from July 22, 2023 to March 1, 2025 and successor Rufino Sescon from March 1, 2025. The parish itself, however, was erected on March 28, 2024, the Holy Thursday of 2024, under Lavarias.
In January 2023, the Diocese of Balanga mourned the passing of Pope Benedict XVI who appointed him as bishop on April 1, 2010, saying that amid sorrow and sadness, “we are assured of his eternal peace and rest in Heaven.” He said that the Bataan faithful were in grief over the death of the pope emeritus on Sunday morning at the Vatican at 95 on December 31, 2022.