- The appointment of the cleric was announced by the Vatican Press Office on May 14 this year | Main photo: Courtesy
The Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (CEV) reported that Monsignor Alberto Ortega Martín arrived in Venezuela from Chile to take office as the new apostolic nuncio to Venezuela.
“We welcome with joy and commitment the new apostolic nuncio of Venezuela. (…) The new apostolic nuncio of Venezuela, Monsignor Alberto Ortega Martín, arrived at the Simón Bolívar International Airport (in Maiquetía), from Chile,” the Vatican announced on July 3. CEV through her Instagram account.
The appointment of Monsignor Ortega made himself known on May 14when the Vatican Press Office announced that Pope Francis had appointed him to this post. The cleric served as nuncio in Chile since 2019, and since 2015 had been responsible for the Vatican embassies in Jordan and Iraq.
Ortega, who was born in Madrid, Spain, on November 14, 1962, was ordained a priest on April 28, 1990, for the archdiocese of the Spanish capital. He holds a doctorate in canon law and entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on July 1, 1997. He also served as nuncio in Nicaragua, South Africa and Lebanon.
The post of Venezuelan ambassador to the Vatican has been vacant since 2021. The position was held by Aldo Giordano between October 2013 and May 2021. Giordano was subsequently appointed by Pope Francis as apostolic nuncio to the European Union (EU).
On December 2, 2021, Monsignor Giordano died following contracting covid-19.
The appointment of Raúl Biord as the new archbishop of Caracas
Pope Francis appointed Monsignor Raúl Biord Castillo as the New Metropolitan Archbishop of CaracasThe decision was confirmed on June 28 by the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference in a press release.
Biord will succeed Cardinal Baltazar Porras, who has served as archbishop of Caracas since January 2023. Porras will take over as archbishop emeritus, according to the Archdiocese of Caracas.
“We welcomed (Bishop Biord) with joy, hope, all the people of Caracas. There is nothing left but to say thank you,” Porras said in a video published by the Archdiocese of Caracas on its X account.
The Catholic Church reported that the Pope also named Monsignor Jesus Gonzalez de Zarate as Archbishop of Valencia, Carabobo state, and Monsignor Polito Rodriguez as Archbishop of Barquisimeto, Lara state.
Cardinal Baltazar Porras was apostolic administrator of Caracas since July 2018 and began his pastoral service in the Archdiocese of Caracas on July 24 of that year.
It was also learned that Helizandro Terán officially became the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Merida.
Pope Francis appointed 21 new cardinals on July 9, 2023, including the Venezuelan Diego Padronwho is archbishop emeritus of Cumaná, Sucre state.
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2024-07-05 02:37:17
