Although Father Luis Albóniga, according to the Bishopric’s Communication delegate, Adrián Lomello, “never had any ambition to be a bishop,” his name began to be mentioned as a candidate after the resignation of the two bishops chosen by the Pope.
In this regard, Father Menilli assured that “within the clergy of Mar del Plata, the most visible priest is Father Luis for having been the vicar general” and considered that “the people do nothing but approve of his management.” Along these lines, he added: “If one day they consulted me, I would say that Luis is a good candidate, but the bishop is not the result of a campaign or a vote, but of an election by the Pope.”
Father Luis Albóniga did not agree to an interview with ACI Prensa, arguing, in the words of the Communication delegate, that he had “nothing to say.”
However, a week after his arrival, the apostolic administrator appointed by Pope Francis, Mons. Ernesto Giobando, announced the transfer of Father Albóniga to the Diocese of Jujuy, 1,900 kilometers from Mar del Plata, within the framework of the aforementioned “canonical procedure”.
The news generated consternation in the community of faithful, who again demonstrated in support of the priest, first with the praying a rosary in the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin parish, where he was parish priest, and then through social networks.
The newspaper The capital published a letter this Wednesday titled “We, the faithful, are also part of the Church”, written by the laywoman and catechist Mónica Lence, a member of the parish community of Father Albóniga. The text condemns the transfer, considering it “an aberration” due to “the cruelty of the form.”
In recent days it also emerged that Lomello, after almost five years of work, left the position of Communications delegate of the Diocese and a replacement has not yet been appointed.
The questions that no one answers about the “mess” in the Diocese of Mar del Plata
What happened in Mar del Plata leaves several questions unanswered. First of all, it is striking that after his resignation, and despite the accusations against him exposed by the newspaper La Capital, Bishop Larrazábal remains as Auxiliary Bishop of San Juan de Cuyo.
This situation opens the door to several questions: Are the accusations made by La Capital against Mons. Larrazábal true? If so, why did the Holy See give its support? And if, on the contrary, the accusations are false: Was there a media operation against him? Who could have orchestrated it?
Furthermore, the fact that, after the publication of the accusations against Bishop Larrazábal in the newspaper La Capital and the subsequent pronouncement of the Nunciature in support of the Bishop, and given the doubts in the community, the Bishopric of Mar del Plata—at that time under the administration of Father Albóniga—did not make public its position on the matter. Was it an involuntary silence, a failure in management, or would there be some interest within the local bishopric in the new pastor not taking office?
But the role of Father Albóniga also remains to be determined, who after serving as diocesan administrator during the three periods of vacant see – after the sending of Bishop Mestre to La Plata and the resignations of Bishops Baliña and Bishop Larrazábal -, He has been transferred to a distant diocese to undergo a “canonical procedure.”
What has the new apostolic administrator, Bishop Giobando, found to make this decision? Why is Father Albóniga being investigated? These are questions that deserve answers, especially for the faithful of Mar del Plata who considered that the priest could be the one to assume the pastoral direction of the diocese.
And while the former Diocesan Administrator is investigated, will the Holy See study the complaints against Bishop Larrazábal?
Finally, the question that has hovered over the diocese since the departure of Bishop Mestre, and that has been renewed for the third time in three months: Who will be the new Bishop of Mar del Plata?