Mexico: Pope Francis appoints new Archbishop in the state of Hidalgo

Pope Francis accepted, this July 3, the resignation of the archbishop of Tulancingo, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo, and named his successor. He also accepted the resignation of the until now bishop of Atlacomulco, in the State of Mexico.

The new Archbishop of Tulancingo is Bishop Óscar Roberto Domínguez Couttolenc, 68 years old, who until now served as Bishop of Ecatepec, in the State of Mexico. The Holy Father accepted the resignation of his predecessor, Bishop Domingo Díaz Martínez, 75 years old, the age at which bishops must present their resignation to the Pope.

Pope Francis also accepted the resignation of the until now Bishop of Atlacomulco, Mons. Juan Odilón Martínez García, also 75 years old, and appointed Mons. Juan Pedro Juárez Meléndez, Bishop of the neighboring diocese of Tula, as Apostolic Administrator.

Ad he did it the Press Office of the Holy See, and was disseminated by the Apostolic Nunciature through the General Secretariat of the Conference of the Mexican Episcopate.

Who is Óscar Roberto Domínguez Couttolenc?

Bishop Óscar Roberto Domínguez Couttolenc was born on May 13, 1956 in the city of Puebla, in the Mexican state of the same name.

At the age of 16 he entered the minor seminary of the Institute of Saint Mary for Foreign Missions (Misiones de Guadalupe) and later completed degrees in Philosophy and Theology at the major seminary of the same religious institution. Later he completed the Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from La Salle University, in Mexico City.

Ordained a priest in 1983, he began his ministry in the Archdiocese of Monterrey, in the state of Nuevo León, where he served as parochial vicar and vocational promoter.

Three years after serving in Monterey, he was sent to Kenya, where he served as vicar and parish priest in the Diocese of Ngong for five years.

Upon returning to Mexico, he assumed administrative responsibilities within his religious community. He was general treasurer of the Missionaries of Guadalupe and later vicar general. At the same time he served as chaplain in various religious communities.

In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Bishop of Tlapa, in the state of Guerrero. In 2012, he was named Bishop of Ecatepec.

Within the Conference of the Mexican Episcopate (CEM), Bishop Domínguez Couttolenc has held various positions.

From 2009 to 2015, he was general treasurer of the CEM. In addition, he was in charge of the Episcopal Dimension of the Clergy from 2016 to 2021 and is currently a member of the National Council for the Protection of Minors.