Roman Catholic Diocese of Balanga

The Cathedral-Shrine Parish of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary in Aguire Street, Poblacion, Balanga, serves as the seat of the diocese.

The diocese became vacant when Santos became bishop of Antipolo covering Rizal province, and the city of Marikina in Metro Manila on July 22, 2023.

Pope Francis then appointed Archbishop of San Fernando, Pampanga Florentino Lavarias as sede vacante apostolic administrator of the diocese while awaiting for the installation of Santos' successor as the diocese's bishop, returning Bataan temporarily to the jurisdiction of Archdiocese of San Fernando after 47 years and 8 months.

Rufino Coronel Sescon, Jr., the outgoing rector of Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno in Manila, to be the fifth Bishop of the diocese.

The Diocese of Balanga was established on March 17, 1975, from the territory of Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga, by Pope Paul VI through the papal bull Quoniam Recte Universum.

The province of Pampanga included the towns of Orion, Pilar, Balanga, Abucay, Samal, Orani, Llana Hermosa and San Juan de Dinalupihan.

The inspiring words and assuring presence of Honesto Ongtioco (now Bishop-emeritus of Cubao), who succeeded Bishop Celso, guided the young diocese as it celebrated its 25th anniversary and as it responded to the call of Pope John Paul II at the beginning of the third millennium, “Duc in Altum.” His kindness and charity allowed the various branches of the diocesan tree to grow in different directions in pursuit of his plan to convoke a Diocesan Pastoral Assembly.

Bishop Ongtioco has just laid the foundation for the realization of his vision when he was installed to lead the new Diocese of Cubao in Quezon City on August 28, 2003.

On December 8, 2008, Clinica Diocesano de San Jose, the diocese's clinic, was founded which is a weekly medical and dental mission for the poor people of Bataan.

The miter symbolizes the pastoral authority of a bishop which he will be exercising the office of his position, represented by the Balanga Cathedral, within the diocese's jurisdiction which is the entire province of Bataan.

The three red crosses symbolizes the Holy Trinity (God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit), four small crosses inside a circle symbolizing the four former bishops of the diocese (Bishops Celso Guevarra, Honesto Ongtioco, Socrates Villegas, and Ruperto Santos), seven red and blue lines signifies the 7 sacraments of the Catholic Church, symbols of Dominican and Augustinian orders at the left and right side of the miter indicating that they are the missionaries who went to the province in order to teach the faith, with Dominicans built the churches of Abucay, Samal, Balanga, Orani, Pilar, Hermosa, and Orion, while the Augustinians built the Morong, Bagac, and Mariveles church.

Coat of arms of Bishop Ruperto Santos that was displayed on the cathedra of Balanga Cathedral when he was installed or assumed office as fourth Bishop of Balanga on July 8, 2010 three months after being appointed to the position on April 1, 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI ( died December 31, 2022 and funeral January 5, 2023 6–7 months before Santos stepped down as the diocese's fourth bishop on July 22, 2023), ending the diocese's 8 months and 4 days sede vacante period or without a bishop in office under the diocesan administrator Victor Ocampo and Santos' 4 months and 7 days bishop-elect period, until he became Bishop of Antipolo covering Marikina in Metro Manila and the province of Rizal on the said date of July 2023.