The Latin American Episcopal Conference has a new leader

The elections took place during the General Assembly of the Episcopal Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean in Puerto Rico.

CELAM’s new president Jaime Spengler, Archbishop of Porto Alegre, confirmed that he takes office “in a spirit of obedience” and “guided by faith”. The Bishops’ Conference has the task of “strengthening the course of the Church’s evangelization in Latin America and the Caribbean”. It is about addressing challenges “in society” and “according to the teaching profession and the signs of the times.”

Spengler was elected President of the Brazilian Conference of Bishops (CNBB) in April 2023, of which he was a Senior Vice President before. Born in 1960 Brazilian Franciscans He also served for several years in the Episcopal Conference as Chair of the Pastoral Committee of Consecrated Ministries and Consecrated Life (2015-2019). He has been Archbishop of Porto Alegre since 2013.

The bishops elected Silam the first vice-president of the Latin American Episcopal Conference Venezuelan Jose Luis Husbands Ayala, current Archbishop of Maracaibo. He served as President of the Bishops’ Conference of Venezuela from 2018 to 2022 and recently resigned as President of Caritas for Latin America and the Caribbean. From 2019 to 2023 he was the Coordinating Bishop for Networking and Pastoral Work at the CELAM Bishops’ Conference.

From now on, as CELAM’s second vice president Jose Domingo Olloa Mendieta Osa from Panama He has been serving as Archbishop of Panama since 2010. From 2007 to 2011 he was Secretary General of the Panama Bishops Conference and President of the Communications Council. From 2007 to 2011 he was already a delegate of the Bishops’ Conference to the CELAM Bishops’ Conference, where he was already participating in several departments.

(m – public relations)