The hitherto bishop of Bilbao, Msgr. Mario Iceta becomes the incumbent of the Archdiocese of Burgos while Bishop Carlos Manuel Escribano Vicente Jiménez as Archbishop of Zaragoza; Barcelona has a new auxiliary bishop, Javier Vilanovawho was, until then, rector of the interdiocesan seminary of Cataluña.
– Supernatural Holy See made public at 12:00 noon the appointments made by Pope Francis for the offices of Burgos y Zaragoza and a new auxiliary of Barcelona.
At the same time that these appointments were made public, Pope Francis accepted the resignations presented by Archbishop Fidel Herraéz and Archbishop Vicente Jiménez Zamora, Archbishops of Burgos and Zaragoza, respectively, at the age of 75.
Bishop Iceta, Bishop of Bilbao since 2010
Bishop Mario Iceta Gavicagogeascoa was born in Gernika (Biscay), Diocese of Bilbao, on March 21, 1965. He holds a Doctorate in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Navarra (1995) and a Doctorate in Theology from the John Paul II Pontifical Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family in Rome (2002). He holds a Master's Degree in Banking and Credit Institution Management from the Fundación Universidad y Empresa and the UNED (1997).
On July 16, 1994 he was ordained a priest in the cathedral of Cordoba, his diocese of incardination. On February 5, 2008, he was appointed titular bishop of Alava and auxiliary of Bilbao. He received the episcopal consecration on April 12 of the same year. On August 24, 2010 he was appointed bishop of Bilbao, beginning his ministry on October 11 of the same year.
In the Spanish Episcopal Conference, he has been a member of the Executive Commission and the Permanent Commission since March 2020. He has been vice president of the Episcopal Commission for the Secular Apostolate and president of the Episcopal Subcommission for the Family and the Defense of Life from 2014 to 2020. He had been a member of this Subcommission since 2008.
He is founder of the Andalusian Society of Bioethics Research and of the specialized journal "Bioethics and Health Sciences" (Cordoba, 1993). He is a corresponding member of the Royal Academy of Cordoba in the Section of Moral, Political and Social Sciences (2006). He is a member of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Bilbao (2008) and of the Royal Academy of Medicine and Surgery of Seville (2018).
Escribano, Bishop of Calahorra and La Calzada-Logroño since 2016.
Bishop Carlos Manuel Escribano Subías was born on August 15, 1964 in Carballo (La Coruña). He studied theology at the University of Navarra and obtained a degree in Moral Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University (1994-1996). He was ordained a priest on July 14, 1996, being incardinated in the diocese of Zaragoza.
In this diocese of Zaragoza he held various pastoral positions. He was pastor in the parish of the Sacred Heart and in the parish of Santa Engracia, and also professor at the Regional Center for Theological Studies of Aragon. On July 20, 2010, he was appointed bishop of Teruel and Albarracín, and there he received episcopal ordination on September 26 of that same year. On May 13, 2016, he was appointed bishop of the diocese of Calahorra and La Calzada-Logroño, where he took canonical possession on June 25, 2016.
In the Spanish Episcopal Conference, he has been president of the Episcopal Commission for the Laity, Family and Life since March 2020. He is also a member of the Permanent Commission. Since 2015, he has been the Consiliary of Manos Unidas.
Between 2010 and 2020 he was a member of the Episcopal Commission for the Secular Apostolate. Within this Commission, he was the bishop responsible for the Department of Youth Ministry (2017-2020) and national consiliary of Catholic Action (2011-2018). He was a member of the Episcopal Subcommission for the Family and Defense of Life (2010-2017).
Javier Vilanova, rector of the Interdiocesan Seminary of Catalonia since 2018.
Javier Vilanova Pellisa was born in Fatarella (Tarragona) on September 23, 1973. He was ordained priest on November 22, 1998 for the diocese of Tortosa, where he has carried out his priestly ministry.
He has been parochial vicar of the parishes of Mare de Déu del Roser in Tortosa (1998-1999) and San Miguel Arcángel in Alcanar (1999-2003). He was also rector of the parishes of Asunción de Forcall, Castellfort and Portell, San Pedro Apóstol de Cinctorres, Madre de Dios de las Nieves de la Mata, San Bartolomé de La Todolella and Virgen del Pópulo de Olocau del Rey (2003-2007). He has been rector of the parishes of Alfara de Carles (2014-2019), Sacred Heart of Jesus of Raval de Cristo (2016-2019) and San Lorenzo of Pinell de Brai (2019).
In addition, he has held the positions of delegate for Catechesis (2014-2016) and for Vocation Ministry (2003); rector of the seminary of Tortosa (2007) and spiritual director of the interdiocesan seminary of Catalonia (2016-2018). Member of the College of Consultors (2007) and the Presbyteral Council (2007).
Currently, and since 2018, he is rector of the interdiocesan seminary of Catalonia. He is a missionary of Mercy and ordinary confessor of the Community of Augustinian Sisters of St. Matthew.
