Resignation and appointment of bishop of Chimbote, Peru

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Chimbote, Peru, presented by Bishop Ángel Francisco Simón Piorno.

The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Fr. Ángel Ernesto Zapata Bances, O.C.D., until now parish priest of San José in the metropolitan archdiocese of Lima, as bishop of the diocese of Chimbote, Peru.

Curriculum vitae

Msgr. Ángel Ernesto Zapata Bances, O.C.D., was born on 3 August 1959 in Lima, Peru. He entered the Order of Discalced Carmelites in 1979 and gave his religious vows in 1986. He carried out his studies in philosophy at the Facultad de Teología Pontificia y Civil de Lima and was awarded a bachelor’s degree in theology and a licentiate in spirituality from the Pontifical Theological Faculty “Teresianum” in Rome. He was ordained a priest on 22 March 1987.

He has held the following offices: formator and promotor of vocations at the San Juan de la Cruz seminary (1986-1993), formator at the International Theological College of his Order in Rome (1994-1997), parish vicar of San Juan de la Cruz (1997-1999) and superior and formator of postulants in Arequipa (1997-1999), director of the Conference of Religious of Peru, CONFER (1999-2002), parish vicar of San José in Lima (1999-2003), regional vicar of the Discalced Carmelites in Peru (1999-2005), superior and master of postulants (2005-2007), parish priest of Santiago Apóstol in Lima (2005-2008) and commissioner of Discalced Carmelites of Peru (2010-2016). From 2017 to the present, he has served as superior of the Carmelite Community and, since 2018, parish priest of San José in the metropolitan archdiocese of Lima.