The Holy Father made several appointments Monday, announced by the Vatican.
Appointment of apostolic nuncio in Belgium
The Holy Father has appointed Archbishop Franco Coppola, titular of Vinda and until now apostolic nuncio in Mexico, as apostolic nuncio in Belgium.
Resignation of bishop of Salamanca and appointment of bishop of Ciudad Rodrigo and Salamanca, Spain
The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Salamanca, Spain, presented by Bishop Carlos López Hernández.
The Holy Father has appointed Bishop José Luis Retana Gonzalo of Plasencia as bishop of the diocese of Ciudad Rodrigo and Salamanca, Spain, uniting the two sees in persona Episcopi.
Bishop José Luis Retana Gozalo was born on 12 March 1953 in Pedro Bernardo, diocese of Ávila. He completed his philosophical and theological studies at the Seminary of Ávila in Salamanca. He studied for two years at the Faculty of Theology in Fribourg, Switzerland, and was awarded a licentiate in theology and a doctorate at the University of Salamanca.
He was ordained a priest in Pedro Bernardo on 29 September 1979.
He has held the following positions: formator and professor of the diocesan College La Asunción de Nuestra Señora in Ávila (1979-1993); rector of the Seminary of Ávila in Salamanca (1993-1999 and 2003-2012); episcopal vicar and special secretary to the bishop (1998-2005); canon of the Cathedral (2002-2017); episcopal delegate for diocesan teaching institutions and parish priest of San Pedro Bautista (2012-2017), and dean of the Cathedral chapter of Ávila (2015-2017).
On 9 March 2017, he was appointed bishop of Plasencia and consecrated on the following 24 June. Within the Episcopal Conference he has served as member of the Episcopal Commission for Teaching and Catechesis (2017-2020). Since 2020 he has been a member of the Episcopal Commission for Education and Culture.
Appointment of military ordinary for Spain
The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Juan Antonio Aznárez Cobo as archbishop military ordinary for Spain, transferring him from the titular see of Bisuldino and the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese of Pamplona y Tudela, Spain.
Archbishop-elect Juan Antonio Aznárez Cobo was born on 14 Janiuary 1961 in Eibar, Guipúzcoa. He graduated in philosophy and letters from the Universidad de Zaragoza in 1984, and carried out his ecclesiastical studies at the Major Seminary of Pamplona.
He was ordained a priest on 27 October 1990 and later graduated in Biblical sciences from the Pontifical Biblical Institute (1997). He served as parish administrator of San Juan Bautista in Mendavia (1990-1993); parish vicar of San Juan Evangelista in Huarte-Pamplona (1997-1999); parish priest of San Esteban in Esparza de Galar, San Emeterio y San Celedonio in Cizur Menor (1999-2004) and parish priest of San Jorge in Pamplona (2004-2009). From 2009 to September 2012 he was vicar general of the archdiocese of Pamplona y Tudela and professor of Sacred Scripture at the Centro Superior de Estudios Teológicos San Miguel Arcángel in Pamplona (CSET); professor of Sacred Scripture at the Instituto Superior de Ciencias Religiosas San Francisco Javier de Pamplona (ISCR) and associate professor of Sacred Scripture at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarra.
On 9 June 2012 he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Pamplona y Tudela and was consecrated on the following 9 September.
In the Spanish Episcopal Conference he has been a member of the Episcopal Commission for the Liturgy since 2017, and since 2012 he has been a member of the Episcopal Commission for the Secular Apostolate and the Episcopal Sub-Commission for the Family and the Defence of Life.
Appointment of auxiliary of the metropolitan archdiocese of Poznań, Poland
The Holy Father has appointed as auxiliary bishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of Poznań, Poland, the Reverend Canon Jan Glapiak, of the clergy of the same archdiocese, until now director of the diocesan Legal Office, assigning him the titular see of Bisica.
His Excellency Msgr. Jan Glapiak was born on 26 December 1959 in Górka Duchowna in the metropolitan archdiocese of Poznań. After completing his philosophical and theological studies at the Metropolitan Major Seminary, he was ordained a priest on 24 May 1984 and incardinated in the same archdiocese.
After priestly ordination, he was vicar in the parish of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poznań (1984-1989) and then studied at the University of Pamplona, where he obtained a doctorate in canon law in 1993. On his return to the archdiocese, he served as Curia collaborator and spiritual director at the major seminary. From 1996 to 2002 he was Bishop’s Chancellor.
Subsequently he was director of the Legal Office and the Liturgical Office, and Head of the Pastoral Care of Shrines. Since 2019 he has also been the diocesan delegate for the Protection of Minors and Honorary Canon of Poznań Cathedral. He is the author of publications in the pastoral-canonical and Mariological fields, and is a member of the Presbyteral Council and the College of Consultors.
Appointment of auxiliary of the metropolitan archdiocese of Toledo, Spain
The Holy Father has appointed as auxiliary bishop of the metropolitan archdiocese of Toledo, Spain, the Reverend Msgr. Francisco César García Magán, until now vicar general, assigning him the titular see of Scebaziana.
Msgr. Francisco César García Magán was born on 2 February 1962 in Madrid. He completed his ecclesiastical studies at the San Ildefonso Major Seminary in Toledo.
He was ordained a priest on 13 July 1986.
He was awarded a licentiate in dogmatic theology (1990) and in canon law (1992) from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He also studied utroque iure at the Pontifical Lateran University (1994-1998), and was a student of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy (1995-1998).
Since his ordination he has served as secretary to the vicar general (1986-1988); special secretary to the auxiliary bishop (1988-1989); parish vicar of Santa Barbara (1986-1988) and chaplain of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Mother of the Divine Shepherd, in Rome (1989-1998). He worked in the General Affairs Section of the Secretariat of State (1991-1995) and from 1995 to 1998 he attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy (1995-1998). Subsequently, in the Diplomatic Service he was attaché and secretary at the apostolic nunciature in Colombia (1998-2000); and then secretary of the apostolic nunciature in Nicaragua (2000-2003), France (2003-2006) and Serbia (2006-2007). Returning to the archdiocese in 2007, he was Canon of the Cathedral chapter (2008-2018); episcopal vicar for Culture and Institutional Relations (2008-2015) and pro-vicar general (2015-2020). From 2020 until now he has been vicar general. In addition, he was spokesperson for the Commission on Religious Freedom of the Ministry of Justice of Spain (2009-2014).
