- The religious from Trujillo was auxiliary bishop of Caracas and served as a missionary and trainer of seminarians | Photo: The Catholic Guardian
On Thursday, October 31, Pope Francis appointed Monsignor Lisandro Rivas, 55 years old, as the new bishop of the diocese of San Cristóbal, Táchira state.
Rivas is originally from the state of Trujillo, he served until now as auxiliary bishop of Caracas and will now be the successor of Monsignor Mario Moronta in the Andean entity.
Moronta announced in a video that bishops must present their resignation to the pope when they turn 75 years of age. He clarified that he resigned from his position in February 2024.
That happened on February 10 of this year, when I turned 75 and presented my resignation to the Holy Father, putting myself in their hands, in the hands of the church, and they obviously have to name a successor,” Moronta explained.
The religious asked the Venezuelan parishioners to receive Rivas with affection, enthusiasm and as a son of Táchira. He also requested that they pray for the new bishop of the diocese of San Cristóbal.
From October 31, Moronta will be in the capacity of bishop emeritus to support the new bishop, but respecting his autonomy.
Message from Monsignor Lisandro Rivas
Rivas issued a video message of gratitude to Pope Francis for his appointment.
The Holy Father has truly surprised me with this news, it places me in that attitude of a pastor on a missionary outing: of going to meet the people who are pilgrims in San Cristóbal,” he indicated.
Rivas also thanked Moronta, the bishops and the entire religious community that lives in the state of Táchira.
“May the Lord, who has sent me to serve you, guide me, encourage me and accompany me to give my best. May God bless you and may the Holy Christ of La Grita and Our Lady of Consolation be with us,” he expressed.
Who is Lisandro Rivas?
Lisandro Alirio Rivas Duran was born in Boconó, Trujillo state, in 1969. He studied theology at the London Missionary Institute and made his religious vows in 1990.
In February 1995 he was ordained deacon of a parish in London and six months later he was appointed priest in Venezuela.
He was a missionary in Kenya between 1995 and 2000. He was then in charge of training seminarians until 2005 and served as Rector of the Philosophical Seminary in Venezuela.
Between 2005 and 2011 he served as superior for Venezuela of the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Consolata. He later served as rector of the Theological Seminary of Bogotá (2011-2014) and as rector of the Pontifical International Missionary College of San Pablo Apóstol in Rome (2014-2022).
In 2021, he was named auxiliary bishop of Caracas and was consecrated in that position in March 2022.
Related news
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)
{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?
n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};
if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;
n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];
s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,’script’,
‘https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’);
fbq(‘init’, ‘648851442656403’);
fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);
#Pope #Francis #appointed #Monsignor #Lisandro #Rivas #bishop #San #Cristóbal
**Monsignor Lisandro Rivas Appointed as New Bishop of San Cristóbal**
Pope Francis has appointed Monsignor Lisandro Rivas as the new bishop of San Cristóbal. In response to his appointment, Rivas expressed deep gratitude to the Pope in a video message, acknowledging the surprise and significance of the news. He emphasized his readiness to fulfill the pastoral role with a missionary spirit, aiming to connect with the community of San Cristóbal.
Rivas stated, “The Holy Father has truly surprised me with this news; it places me in that attitude of a pastor on a missionary outing: of going to meet the people who are pilgrims in San Cristóbal.” He also expressed thanks to his predecessor, Bishop Moronta, as well as the bishops and religious community in Táchira, indicating his commitment to serve and support them.
He prayed for guidance and strength to carry out his duties, invoking the blessings of the Lord, the Holy Christ of La Grita, and Our Lady of Consolation for the community he is set to serve.
### Who is Lisandro Rivas?
Born in 1969 in Boconó, Trujillo state, Lisandro Alirio Rivas Duran studied theology at the London Missionary Institute and made his religious vows in 1990. He has since dedicated his life to the priesthood and service within the Catholic Church, culminating in his appointment as bishop.
With this new role, Rivas looks to embody the spirit of pastoral care and missionary outreach, fostering a strong connection with the faithful in his diocese.
