The military bishop of Colombia, Mons. Víctor Manuel Ochoa Cadavid, died on June 1 at the age of 62, “after a life entirely dedicated to the service of God, the Church and the most needy,” according to a communication of the military bishopric.
The prelate, a clear defender of life and family; And whose health had weakened in recent weeks, died at 11:55 pm on Sunday in which the Catholic Church celebrated the ascension of the Lord.
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“Monsignor Víctor Manuel Ochoa was an emblematic figure of our faith, whose pastoral ministry was distinguished by its unwavering commitment to the values of the Gospel, its proximity to the most vulnerable communities and its tireless work for social justice,” the statement highlights.
The bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia (CEC) also expressed their pain for the departure of the military bishop and raised their prayers for him, while recalling in a statement the words of Pope Francis in the Bula Hope you don’t disappointwith which the jubilee of hope 2025 convened: “What will be of us, then, after death? Beyond this threshold is eternal life with Jesus, which consists of full communion with God, in the contemplation and participation of his infinite love.”
Three days ago, Pope Leo XIV appointed Mons. José Roberto Ospina Leongómez, Bishop Emeritus of Buga, as an apostolic administrator “full headquarters” of the military bishopric of Colombia. Having died Mons. Ochoa, Mons. Ospina is now Apostolic Administrator Vacant Headquarters.
The wake of the bishop will begin tonight at 7:00 pm (local time) in the Castrense cathedral Jesus Christ redeemer in Bogotá. At 8:00 pm the apostolic administrator will preside over.
On Tuesday, June 3, at noon, the archbishop of Bogotá, Cardinal Luis José Ruedio Aparicio, will preside over the Eucharist for Mons. Ochoa; And on Wednesday 4 the Mass of Exequias will be held by Mons. Francisco Javier Múnera, president of the CEC, at 3:00 pm
A life at the service of the people and the Catholic Church in Colombia
In the CEC, Mons. Ochoa was president of the Episcopal Commission of Doctrine and member of the Economic Committee. He also led the Superior Council of the MASC Foundation.
When he was a bishop of Cúcuta, on the border with Venezuela, Mons. Ochoa stood out for his tireless work in favor of migrants, displaced and vulnerable communities of this border region.
In the midst of humanitarian crises for the large number of Venezuelans who left their country, the prelate promoted the creation of shelters, dining rooms and comprehensive care centers, in coordination with Diocesan Caritas and international organizations. It also promoted migratory regularization and legal accompaniment programs.
In October 2017, when ACI Press visited Cúcuta to inform about the drama of Venezuelans who left their country because of the serious crisis, Mons. Ochoa explained that only in a house for migrants, a total of 160,000 lunches had been distributed between June and September of that year.
Venezuela, said the then bishop of Cúcuta, had gone “from very worthy living conditions in food and health, to a situation of great need.” Faced with that reality, the Church, with him in the lead, did his best to “accompany with the word, catechesis, help, give hope and make the joy renate.”
Who was Mons. Víctor Manuel Ochoa Cadavid?
Mons. Víctor Manuel Ochoa Cadavid was a military bishop and Bishop of Cúcuta in Colombia. Born in Bello (Antioquia) on October 18, 1962. He studied at the Medellín Conciliar Seminary and then specialized in philosophy at the Pontifical Santo Tomás de Aquino University (Angelicum) in Rome, where he also obtained a doctorate.
He was ordained a priest by Pope San Juan Paul II on July 5, 1986, during the visit of the Pontiff to Colombia. He was director of training houses in Rome and collaborator in the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. He was appointed chaplain of his holiness on April 15, 1995.
On January 24, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him auxiliary bishop of Medellín, receiving episcopal ordination on April 1 of the same year.
On January 24, 2011 he was appointed Bishop of Malaga -Soatá. On July 24, 2015, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Cúcuta. He was then a military bishop since 2021.
Walter Sánchez Silva
I am husband since 2008. With my wife we have three children here and one who went to heaven in 2023, before birth. Since I joined ACI Press in 2005, I have had the opportunity to cover various events of the Catholic Church. Among them, the World Youth Days in Colonia, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro and the apostolic trips of Pope Benedict XVI to Mexico and Pope Francis to South Korea. I have been sent to the Vatican to cover the family’s synods, in 2015; of the Amazon, in 2019 and that of Sinodality, in 2023. I follow the situation of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, which suffers the persecution of the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega, as well as the ecclesial news in the region.