Appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Santiago de Guatemala, Guatemala

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Gonzalo De Villa y Vásquez, S.J., as metropolitan archbishop of the archdiocese of Santiago de Guatemala, Guatemala, transferring him from the diocese of Sololá-Chimaltenango.

Archbishop-elect Gonzalo De Villa y Vásquez, S.J.

Archbishop-elect Gonzalo De Villa y Vásquez, S.J., was born on 28 April 1954 in Madrid, Spain. In 1974 he entered the novitiate of the Jesuits in the Dominican Republic. He studied philosophy in Mexico at the “Instituto Libre de Filosofia” and obtained a civil licentiate in “Humanidades”. He specialised in philosophy at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua. He carried out his studies in theology at the “Instituto de Teologia para Religiosos” in Caracas, Venezuela. In Canada he obtained a master’s degree in “Pensamiento Social y Politico” at the University of York in Toronty, and, subsequently, a diploma in Latin American studies.

He was ordained a priest in Panama on 13 August 1983. He gave his religious vows in the Society of Jesus on 6 February 1993.

As a priest he held the following roles: professor of philosophy at the Universidad de Centro América in Managua, Nicaragua and professor of religion in Saint Ignatius College in Caracas, Venezuela. In Guatemala he was: professor of philosophy and political science at Rafael Landívar University, professor of philosophy in the National Major Seminary of Guatemala, vice-dean and dean of the Faculty of Political Science at Rafael Landívar University, delegate provincial superior of the Society of Jesus for Central America, parish priest of the Saint Anthony parish, Superior of various religious houses of the Society of Jesus in Guatemala and Rector of Rafael Landívar University.

On 9 July 2004 he was appointed titular bishop of Rotaria and auxiliary of the metropolitan archdiocese of Santiago de Guatemala, receiving episcopal ordination the following 25 September. On 28 July 2007 he was transferred to the diocese of Sololá-Chimaltenango.

From 2 October 2010 to 14 July 2011 he was apostolic administrator of the metropolitan archdiocese of Los Altos Quetzaltenango-Totonicapán.

In 2017 he was elected president of the Episcopal Conference for a three-year term, and in 2020 he was reconfirmed in the same role for a further three years.