Pope Leo XIV appointed two new bishops on May 31: Mons. Serrano for Urgel (Spain and Andorra), and Fr. Malpica for Granada (Colombia).
Episcopal appointment in Spain
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The Holy Father accepted the resignation, this May 31, by Mons. Joan Enric Vives as Bishop of Urgel (Spain and Andorra) and has appointed Mons. Josep-Lluís Serrano instead, who served as a coadjutor bishop of the same diocese since July 2024 and received the episcopal ordination on September 21 of the same year.
With this appointment, Mons. Serrano becomes Copríncipe de Andorra, so he must swear about the Constitution of the Principality at the beginning of his pastoral ministry. The Diocese of Urgel, suffragan of the Archdiocese of Tarragona, extends its jurisdiction over the Latin Catholics of Latin Rite who reside in the Principality of Andorra and in part of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia.
🇦🇩 From today Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat is the new bishop of Urgell and Episcopal Co-Prince of Andorra.
🔹 The Board of Presidents will agree on Monday afternoon when he will have to swear the Constitution of the Principality of Andorra.#ConsellGeneral pic.twitter.com/iryTPoNSnj
– Consell General (@CensellGeneral) May 31, 2025
According to Catholic Hierarchy, The Diocese of Urgel – until 2023 – had a total of 212,100 Catholics, around 99.3% of the total population; and had 71 priests. 363 parishes make life in this jurisdiction, which is a ratio of 5 parishes for each priest.
Mons. Serrano was born on March 19, 1977 in Tivissa (Tarragona). He studied philosophy and theology at the Major Tortosa Seminar (1995-2001). He is Bachelor in Theology for the Faculty of Theology of Catalonia in Barcelona (2001). He received priestly ordination on April 21, 2002 at the Cathedral of Santa María in Tortosa.
He obtained the degree and doctorate in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome. He has a graduate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Lateran University and a diploma in diplomatic studies by the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy.
He has been secretary in the Apostolic Nunciatures in Mozambique (2012-2016), Nicaragua (2016-2017) and Brazil (2017-2019); In addition to the advisor of Nunciature in the section for the general matters of the Secretary of State of the Holy See (2019-2004).
Episcopal appointment in Granada (Colombia)
Also on Tuesday, the Pope accepted the resignation of Mons. José Figueroa Gómez, Bishop of Granada, and instead has appointed Fr. Jorge Enrique Malpica, who exercised his pastoral ministry within the clergy of the diocese of Zipaquirá.
According to him Colombian episcopateFr. Malpica has been directly linked – during more than 10 years – to the formation of new priests, exercising as director and trainer at the San José Major Seminary.
Fr. Malpica was born on August 2, 1967 in Gachetá (Cundinamarca). He studied his philosophy and theology at the San José de Zipaquirá seminar. He received priestly ordination on December 18, 1993, unbelieving in the diocese of Zipaquirá.
It also has a degree in theology from the Pontifical Javeriana University, and a degree in systematic philosophy from the Gregorian University of Rome. In addition, he attended a diploma in canon law at the Pontifical Javeriana University.
Since 2024 he serves as pastor of Our Lady of Health in Chia, and as Episcopal Vicar of the Pastoral Zone Jesus Christ Priest.
Andrés Henríquez
I was born in Caracas in 1996. I am a writer for ACI Press and correspondent of EWTN since 2023. Since then, I cover events of the Catholic Church in Venezuela, Latin America and the world. I have more than 6 years of experience in bilingual media. In addition, in Venezuela I have worked from various fields for freedom and respect for fundamental rights in the country. I am a member of the Regnum Christi Federation since 2014.