Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Quito (Agenzia Fides) - The Bishops of the 25 dioceses of Ecuador, along with eight auxiliary Bishops (with the right to vote) have come together to elect today, May 7, the new President of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference (CEE) for 2014-2017. The note sent to Fides highlights that the new President is elected by secret ballot and will have to substitute in this position the Archbishop of Guayaquil, His Exc. Mgr. Antonio Arregui .
The 135th Plenary Assembly of Bishops will also elect, for the same period, the Vice-President (until now His Exc. Mgr. Luis Cabrera Herrera, O.F.M., of the Archdiocese of Cuenca) and the Secretary-General (currently the Bishop of Machala, Mgr. Ángel Polivio Sánchez Loaiza. The Presidents of the episcopal commissions will also have to be elected: Liturgy, Social Pastoral Caritas, Education, Teaching of the Church, Ministries and consecrated life, Laity and Culture.
The Church in Ecuador recently had to defend the right to religious freedom (see Fides 14/03/2014), and promote the commitment in the field of culture and indigenous pastoral, a task that the Church shares with other groups that have been committed at a social level for a long time (see Fides 09/08/2013). (CE) (Agenzia Fides 07/05/2014)
