Resignation and appointment of bishop of San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela
Appointment of military ordinary for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Edmonton, Canada
Appointment of bishop of San Jose, Philippines
Appointment of members of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches
Resignation and appointment of bishop of San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela
The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela, presented by Bishop Alfredo Enrique Torres Rondón.
The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Elieser Antonio Rivero Barrios, of the clergy of San Felipe, until now vicar general, as bishop of the diocese of San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela.
Curriculum vitae
Msgr. Elieser Antonio Rivero Barrios was born on 15 August 1975 in Carora, Lara, diocese of Carora. He studied philosophy at the Universidad Católica Santa Rosa in Caracas and theology at the Pontifical University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, where he was awarded a licentiate in canon law.
He received priestly ordination on 18 October 2003 and was incardinated in the diocese of San Felipe.
He has held the following offices: hospital chaplain, professor in the seminary of Barquisimeto, parish priest in various communities, and chancellor and diocesan administrator of San Felipe (2023-2025). To date he has served as vicar general of the diocese of San Felipe.
Appointment of military ordinary for Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Fra Miro Relota, O.F.M., until now definitor of the Franciscan Province of Bosna Srebrena, as military ordinary in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Curriculum vitae
Msgr. Miro Relota, O.F.M., was born on 1 July 1965, in Gusti Grab, municipality of Busovača. He studied philosophy and theology at the Franciscan School of Theology in Sarajevo, and at the Theological Faculty of Apulia in Bari.
He gave his solemn vows in 1990 and was ordained a priest on 19 March 1991. He subsequently studied ecumenism at the ecumenical-patristic Institute of Saint Nicholas in Bari, where he was awarded a licentiate.
In the Franciscan Province of Saint Michael the Archangel in Apulia and Molise, he held the following offices: master of clerics, parish priest in Lucera and Foggia, master of aspirants and postulants, provincial definitor, and secretary for formation studies for the Province and COMPI South in Italy. He was also Vice-Commissioner for the Holy Land and Delegate for Apulian emigrants in Toronto and New York.
Since 2015, after returning to the Franciscan Province of Bosna Srebrena, he has held the following offices: deputy parish priest in Fojnica; parish priest, confessor and spiritual father at the Franciscan School of Theology in Sarajevo, and provincial definitor. In 2021 he was appointed visitator general for the Franciscan Province of Herzegovina and, in 2020, Missionary of Mercy.
Appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Edmonton, Canada
The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Stephen Andrew Hero as metropolitan archbishop of Edmonton, Canada, transferring him from the diocese of Prince Albert.
Curriculum vitae
Bishop Stephen Andrew Hero was born on 19 December 1969 in Montréal, Québec. After studying philosophy at the Seminary of Christ the King and theology at the Saint Joseph Seminary of Edmonton, he obtained a licentiate in spiritual theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
He was ordained a priest on 29 June 2000 for the metropolitan archdiocese of Edmonton.
After ordination, he first served as parish vicar of Saint Theresa in Edmonton and Holy Family in Saint Albert (2000-2002) and vocational director (2002-2003). He was awarded a licentiate in sacred liturgy at the Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm in Rome (2003-2005), and went on to serve as a lecturer at the Newman Theological College of Edmonton (2005-2021), ecclesiastical judge at the Regional and Interdiocesan Tribunal of Alberta (2007-2015), formator (2005-2010), vice rector (2010-2012) and rector (2012-2021) of Saint Joseph’s Seminary in Edmonton.
On 25 March 2021 he was appointed bishop of Prince Albert, receiving episcopal ordination the following 11 June.
Appointment of bishop of San Jose, Philippines
The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Fr. Samuel Naceno Agcaracar, S.V.D., member of the Society of the Divine Word and until now rector of the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay City, as bishop of the diocese of San Jose, Philippines.
Curriculum vitae
Msgr. Samuel Naceno Agcaracar, S.V.D., was born on 4 December 1969 in Claveria, Cagayan. He attended the Divine Word College in Bangued and graduated in History of Religious Education. He then received a master’s degree in education from the Divine Word College in Laoag. He then entered the seminary of the Society of the Divine Word and studied philosophy at Christ the King Seminary in Quezon City and theology at the Divine Word School of Theology in Tagaytay. He was awarded a doctorate in missiology from the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome.
He gave his religious vows in 2006 and was ordained a priest on 3 February 2007.
He has held the following offices: regent of Good Shepherd in Magsaysay (2004-2005), director for education of the Divine Word College in Calapan (2007-2008), professor (2011-2014) and then rector (since 2020) of the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay, professor of the Divine Word Institute of Mission Studies and the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay (2018-2020), and member of the Provincial Council.
Appointment of members of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches
The Holy Father has appointed the following as members of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches: His Eminence Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments; Archbishop William Charles Skurla of Pittsburgh of the Byzantinees, United States of America, and Bishop Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie, M.C.C.J., auxiliary of the archeparchy of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
