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Pope Leo Appoints Coadjutor Bishop for Puerto Rico’s Youngest Diocese
Confirmed
In Short: Pope Leo XIV has appointed Father Gerardo Antonio Vargas Cruz as coadjutor bishop for the Diocese of Fajardo-Humacao, effective immediately.
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Father Gerardo Antonio Vargas Cruz as coadjutor bishop for the Diocese of Fajardo-Humacao, effective immediately. This appointment comes as the third bishop nomination for Puerto Rico in under three months.
Father Vargas, 49, will serve alongside Bishop Luis Francisco Miranda Rivera, who has led the Fajardo-Humacao Diocese since 2020. Miranda, 72, is three years short of the typical retirement age for bishops and did not provide a reason for the appointment.
The appointment of a coadjutor bishop is typical when a diocesan bishop is nearing retirement, allowing for a smooth transition of leadership. Father Vargas, from Mayagüez, has served as the vicar for clergy in the Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico since 2022 and has additional experience as a theology professor and prison chaplain.
The Diocese of Fajardo-Humacao, established in 2008, serves approximately 63,500 Catholics, representing about 30% of the area's total population. The appointment underscores the importance of this diocese within the broader context of the Catholic Church in Puerto Rico.
What's confirmed
- A press conference to introduce the new coadjutor bishop was scheduled to take place at St.
What's still developing
- The Pope celebrates Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano The Pope told the seminarians that the call of God is gratuitous and not based on any merit of theirs, adding that their presence is a sign of hope for the Church in that God continues to call.