BEATIFICATION OF ARCHBISHOP ROMERO,
MAY 23, 2015
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For the
second time this year, Pope Francis has changed the composition of the
Salvadoran bishops, replacing the Bishop of Santa Ana, one of the seven
territorial dioceses of the ecclesiastical province of El Salvador. The Holy
Father has transferred the current Bishop of San Miguel, Mgr. Miguel Angel Moran Aquino
to that see, taking the place of Mgr. Romeo Tovar Astorga, who has reached the
age limit of 75.
The
appointment looks like a chess move because it leaves future movements pending.
First, the transfer of Mgr. Moran from San Miguel to Santa Ana, leaves a void
in the Diocese of San Miguel, which the Holy Father will have to fill in due
time. It is the only vacant seat in the Salvadoran ecclesiastical province. It
is also likely that the Holy Father will appoint a relief for Mgr. Luis Morao
Andreazza, Bishop of Chalatenango, who has also surpassed the age limit (he is already
76). If the Holy Father fills these positions with future transfers, he could
create additional vacancies.
Mgr. Moran Aquino, 60, is a native son of the Diocese of Santa Ana and was pastor of its cathedral; he has been a bishop for 15 years. On a different note, as the ordinary in San Miguel, he got to know the figure of Archbishop Romero, as the first Salvadoran Blessed was born in San Miguel, and Mgr. Moran had to become an advocate for his beatification cause. Among his other positions, he was prefect of studies in the major seminary of San Jose de la Montana, and is currently delegate of the Episcopal Conference to CELAM and to the institution responsible for social prevention among the clergy.
Mgr. Moran Aquino, 60, is a native son of the Diocese of Santa Ana and was pastor of its cathedral; he has been a bishop for 15 years. On a different note, as the ordinary in San Miguel, he got to know the figure of Archbishop Romero, as the first Salvadoran Blessed was born in San Miguel, and Mgr. Moran had to become an advocate for his beatification cause. Among his other positions, he was prefect of studies in the major seminary of San Jose de la Montana, and is currently delegate of the Episcopal Conference to CELAM and to the institution responsible for social prevention among the clergy.
The retirement
of Astorga, now bishop emeritus of Santa Ana, represents the departure of the
last conservative prelate from the Salvadoran bishops' conference; he joins the
bloc of retired conservative prelates, which includes Mgr. Fernando Saenz
Lacalle, Archbishop Emeritus of San Salvador, and Mgr. José Oscar Barahona
Castillo, retired bishop of San Vicente. By contrast, the composition of active
bishops consists mainly of moderate or progressive prelates, including the
recently appointed new bishop of Santiago de Maria,
William Iraheta Ernesto Rivera,
who will be installed on 12 March.
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