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Resignations and Appointments, 31.05.2018

Erection of the diocese of El Tigre, Venezuela, and appointment of the first bishop

Elevation of the apostolic exarchate for Catholic faithful of Byzantine rite resident in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to an eparchy, and appointment of the first eparchial bishop

 

Erection of the diocese of El Tigre, Venezuela, and appointment of the first bishop

The Holy Father has erected the new diocese of El Tigre, Venezuela, with territory taken from the diocese of Barcelona, and making it a suffragan of the metropolitan archdiocese of Cumaná.

The Pope appointed as first bishop of the diocese of El Tigre, Venezuela, H.E. Msgr. José Manuel Romero Barrios, currently titular bishop of Materiana and auxiliary of Barcelona.

H.E. Msgr. José Manuel Romero Barrios

H.E. Msgr. José Manuel Romero Barrios was born in Pariaguán, in the then-diocese of Barcelona, hereinafter the diocese of El Tigre, on 9 April 1955. He carried out his ecclesial studies in philosophy in the major interdiocesan seminary of Caracas, and in theology in the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome, obtaining a licentiate in dogmatic theology.

He received priestly ordination on 1 December 1979 for the diocese of Barcelona.

Since ordination, he has served as deputy priest of “San Juan Bautista” in Aragua of Barcelona, vice-rector and prefect of discipline of the minor seminary of Barcelona, rector of the minor seminary, pastor of “Nuestra Señora del Carmen” in Barcelona, parish priest of the Cathedral of Barcelona, deputy pirector of the “Santa Rosa de Lima” interdiocesan seminary of Caracas, rector of the theologate of the interdiocesan seminary of Caracas, vice-rector of the “Santa Rosa de Lima” University of Caracas, episcopal vicar for pastoral ministry, parish priest of “El Espíritu Santo” in Barcelona, and vicar general of the diocese.

On 2 February 2012 he was appointed as titular bishop of Materiana and auxiliary of Barcelona. He received episcopal consecration on 14 April 2012.

Statistics

The newly-erected diocese of El Tigre corresponds to the southern part of the civil territory of the Anzoátegui State, specifically the civil municipalities of Simón Rodríguez (El Tigre), Guanipa (El Tigrito), Independencia (Soledad), Miranda (Pariaguán), and Monagas ( Mapire), the civil parish of Cachipo, the municipality Aragua de Barcelona and the civil parish of San Tomé, and the municipality Pedro María in Freites (Hugo Chávez Frías), currently belonging to the diocese of Barcelona.

 

Diocese of Barcelona

Before division

Diocese of Barcelona

After division

New diocese of
El Tigre

Area

43,300 km2

20,322 km2

22,978 km2

Population

1,768,329

1,362,279

406,050

Parishes

60

46

14

Priests

56

43

13

Seminarians

28

22

6

Religious

37

28

9

 

 

Elevation of the apostolic exarchate for Catholic faithful of Byzantine rite resident in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to an eparchy, and appointment of the first eparchial bishop

The Holy Father Francis has elevated the apostolic exarchate for Catholic faithful of Byzantine rite resident in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to an eparchy, assigning to the new circumscription to title of “Blessed Virgin Mary of the Assumption in Strumica-Skopje”, and has appointed as the first eparchial bishop H.E. Msgr. Kiro Stojanov, bishop of Skopje, currently apostolic exarch of the same circumscription.

H.E. Msgr. Kiro Stojanov

H.E. Msgr. Kiro Stojanov was born in Radovo, in the apostolic exarchate of Macedonia, on 9 April 1959; he was ordained on 6 April 1986, elected to the titular Church of Centuriones on 4 January 1999, consecrated on 1 May 1999, and transferred on 20 July 2005. He is apostolic exarch for faithful of Byzantine rite resident in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.