Pope Francis appoints the priest Eloy Alberto Santiago Bishop of Tenerife

This Monday, the appointment of the priest Eloy Alberto Santiago Santiago has been published as the new Bishop of S. Cristóbal de la Laguna (Tenerife, Spain), which currently exercised as secretary chancellor of the Diocese of the Canary Islands.

The diocese that has met its new shepherd today is also known as Diocese of Tenerife or Nivariense diocese and extends in the territories of the islands of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro.

The diocese spiritually serves a population of just over one million souls and has 203 diocesan priests, of which 71 are retired, 47 religious presbyters and 11 permanent deacons.

In 2023 just over 4,000 baptisms, as many first communions and 785 marriages in the 312 parishes, according to Data offered by the Spanish Episcopal Conference.

The bishopric of S. Cristóbal de la Laguna was vacant since the acceptance of the resignation of Mons. Bernardo Álvarez, last September. Since then, the priest Antonio Manuel Pérez Morales has served as diocesan administrator.

The elected prelate has developed part of its ministry as secretary or aggregate in the nunciatures of the Holy See in Colombia (2006-2009), South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland (2009-2013) and Great Britain (2013-2014) . Spanish, Italian, English, French and Portuguese speaks.

Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canarias in 1973, he entered the Diocesan Seminary of the Canary Islands in 1992 and obtained the Bachelor in Theology from the Pontifical University of Comillas. He was ordained a priest in July 1999 in the Cathedral of the Canary Islands.

In 2004, he obtained a doctorate in dogmatic theology from the Gregorian University, where he also graduated in Canon Law.

After providing diplomatic services, he returned to the Diocese of the Canary Islands, where he has exercised as a pastor in different locations. The elected bishop is also a professor of the Higher Institute of Theology of the Canary Islands (ISTIC) and exercised as trainer of the Diocesan Seminary.

Since 2020 he is Secretary General-Chanceler of the Diocese of the Canary Islands. In 2021 he was also appointed delegate for economic matters. He also currently exercised as a vicar for the economy and heritage, a member of the Delegation for the clergy and director of the Commission for the Protection of Minors.

In addition, it was part of the Cathedral Cabildo and the College of Consultants, as well as the Presbyteral Council, that of Economic Affairs and the Pastoral.

The Archbishop of Seville, Mons. José Ángel Saiz Meneses, has welcomed In social networks The appointment of the elected prelate, who has welcomed the ecclesiastical province, since the diocese of Tenerife is suffragan of the Hispanic.

For months, it has been speculated with the possibility that Pope Francis could visit the Canary Islands in relation to the concern of the pontiff for the human drama suffered by many migrants from Africa to Europe and that they arrive very often in the Spanish Atlantic archipelago.