AMERICA/PANAMA - Resignation of Bishop of Colón-Kuna Yala and appointment of successor

Saturday, 18 June 2005

Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI on 18 June 2005 accepted the renunciation of the pastoral government of the diocese of Colón-Kuna Yala (Panama) presented by Bishop Carlos María Ariz Bolea, C.M.F., in conformity with the Code of Canon Law canon 401 § 1. The Holy Father also appointed Bishop of Colón-Kuna Yala (Panama) Rev. Audilio Aguilar Aguilar of the clergy of Santiago de Veraguas and parish priest at Atalaya.
The Bishop elect was born 4 August 1963 Cañazas district, Veraguas province, Panama. He studied philosophy at the major seminary in Guayaquil diocese (Ecuador) and theology at San Jose major seminary in Costa Rica. He was ordained a priest on 4 August 1990 for the diocese of Santiago de Veraguas. He studied in Rome at the pontifical Lateran university for a licentiate in Canon Law. He has since been: assistant parish priest, spiritual director at the diocesan minor seminary; parish priest at Cañazas; Assessor for both the Cursillos de Cristiandad and Communion and Liberation movements; formator at San Jose major seminary and secretary adjunct of the Bishops’ Conference of Panama; diocesan chancellor and parish priest at Sonà (diocese of Santiago de Veraguas). Since 2003 he has been parish priest of San Miguel Arcàngel, Atalaya and judge of the Ecclesiastic Tribunal of Panama.
Colón-Kuna Yala diocese was created on 15 December 1988. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Panama. It lies north east of the capital on the Caribbean Sea coast. It has an area of 8,167 sq. km, a population of 248,000 of whom 178,000 ate Catholics (70%), 17 parishes, 32 priests (20 diocesan, 12 religious), 60 women religious and there are 8 major seminarians. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 18/6/2005; Righe 22; Parole 293)


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