Pope Francis made two episcopal appointments this January 25 for Mexico: a coadjutor archbishop for the Archdiocese of Morelia, in the state of Michoacán; and a new bishop for New Casas Grandes, Chihuahua.
The new Archbishop Coadjtor de Morelia
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As reported by the Press Office of the Holy See, the Pope appointed Mons. José Armando Álvarez Cano, until now Bishop of Tampico, as the new Archbishop of Morelia.
The Apostolic Nunciature communicates through the General Secretariat of the Mexican Episcopate Conference, which its holiness Francisco has deigned to appoint Archbishop coadjutor of the Archdiocese of Morelia to Mons. José Armando Álvarez Cano, until now Bishop of Tampico.
Nos… pic.twitter.com/KyxD5FJ0AO
— CEM (@IglesiaMexico) January 25, 2025
According to Code of Canon Lawthe contained bishops have the right of succession, so that “when the episcopal headquarters were vacant, the bishop coadjutor immediately becomes a bishop of the diocese for which she was appointed, as long as she had already legitimately taken possession.”
Currently, Mons. Carlos Garfias Merlos, 74, is the Archbishop of Morelia.
According to the statement of the Holy See, Mons. Álvarez Cano was born in the municipality of Jiquilpan, in the Diocese of Zamora, Michoacán, on January 30, 1960. He is 64 years old.
He was ordained a priest on February 8, 1986, incardinated to the Diocese of Zamora, and graduated in pastoral theology from the Pontifical University of Mexico.
He has “missionary experience”, having exercised his ministry as Faith gift —The soup of a diocese sent to another pastoral territory in the world to help evangelization – in the diocese of Tacna and Moquegua, south of Peru.
In 2011 he was appointed Bishop of the Territorial Prelature of Huautla, Oaxaca, by Pope Benedict XVI. In 2019 he was appointed Bishop of Tampico.
The Bishop of Nuevo Casas Grandes
Pope Francis also appointed Fr. Víctor Melchor Quintana Quezada, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chihuahua as a new bishop of Nuevo Casas Grandes.
The diocese of Nuevo Casas Grandes was in vacant Since September 2023, when his then bishop, Mons. Jesús José Herrera Quiñonez, was appointed Bishop of Culiacán, Sinaloa.
The Apostolic Nunciature communicates, through the General Secretariat of the Mexican Episcopate Conference, that its Holiness Francis has deigned to appoint Bishop of the Diocese of Nuevo Casas Grandes to the Pbro. Víctor Melchor Quintana Quezada, so far Episcopal Vicar of … pic.twitter.com/KvLe4KHAZl
— CEM (@IglesiaMexico) January 25, 2025
Born in the town of Santa Ana, Chihuahua, on July 29, 1969, Mons. Quintana Quezada was ordered priest on September 16, 1996.
He has graduated in Pastoral Theology from the Pontifical Latin University of Rome.
The “joy and prayer” of the Mexican Episcopate
The Mexican Episcopate Conference expressed his “joy and prayer” for the appointments of Pope Francis for Morelia and Nuevo Casas Grandes, while wished each of the prelates “a fruitful performance in his new episcopal encomienda.”
David Ramos
Graduate in Communication Sciences by the Private University of the North in Trujillo, Peru. With more than 12 years of experience in Catholic journalism working in ACI Press, I am based in Mexico since 2018. I have covered the trips of Pope Francis to Ecuador, Paraguay, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Panama.