Rodrigo Aguilar (Photo@ El Sol de Puebla)

On November 3rd, Monsignor Rodrigo Aguilar was named by Pope Francis as Bishop of San Cristobal de Las Casas. The new bishop, born in Valle de Santiago, Guanajuato, was bishop of the Diocese of Tehuacan since January 30th, 2006. Prior to that diocese, he had headed the Diocese of Matehuala, Jalisco.

The new Bishop Aguilar follows in the footsteps of others, Bartolome de Las Casas (1543-1550), Samuel Ruiz Garcia (1959-2000) and his predecessor Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel (2000-2017).

According to the Yucatan newspaper, “they asked in the diocese of San Cristobal de las Casas that whoever arrived had episcopal experience and work in indigenous towns, since the diocese is mostly indigenous.”

In a statement on the episcopal succession, Bishop Arizmendi mentioned about his successor “that Monseñor Ruiz García fought hard with persecution, for the defense and dignity of the native peoples, so that their rights were respected. He promoted peace, always with the foundation of truth and justice. You should not lose your pastoral heritage” and also in the letter gave “thanks to God and the Catholic community for the almost 27 years of episcopal service in Chiapas: a little over nine years in Tapachula, where I arrived on March 7, 1991, and 17 and a half years in San Cristobal de Las Casas, from May 1st, 2000 to date.”

For more information in Spanish:

El Papa nombra a Rodrigo Aguilar obispo de San Cristóbal de las Casas (El Proceso, 3 de noviembre de 2017)

Defensa de los indígenas debe prevalecer: Arizmendi (Cuarto Poder, 6 de noviembre de 2017)

Nombran a Rodrigo Aguilar como obispo de San Cristóbal de las Casas (El Sol de Puebla, 3 de noviembre de 2017)

Se despide de Chiapas (Diario de Yucatán, 4 de noviembre de 2017)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas: El obispo Felipe Arzimendi presenta su renuncia al Papa (8 de mayo de 2015)