Pope Leo XIV appoints new archbishop of San Juan de Puerto Rico

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Eusebio Ramos Morales of Caguas as the new archbishop of San Juan de Puerto Rico.

As announced by the Holy See on Aug. 6, the pontiff also accepted the resignation of Archbishop Roberto Octavio González Nieves, OFM, who has led the archdiocese since 1999.

Nearly 30 years of service through natural disasters Gonzalez concludes his service in Puerto Rico having led the archdiocese through challenging times, including Hurricane Maria in 2017, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a stagnant economy.

Growing up in New York, he was ordained a Franciscan priest in 1977 and served as auxiliary bishop of Boston before becoming bishop of Corpus Christi, Texas. Notably, he replaced Bishop René Gracida at Corpus Christi, who signed his name to a “filial correction” criticizing Pope Francis’ 2016 encyclical Amoris Laetitia .

Assigned to Puerto Rico by St. John Paul II, he has been recognized for his leadership during several difficult periods in the island’s history. He was recently honored with the 2023 Spirit of Francis Award by the Catholic Extension Society in recognition of his service in helping Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Maria.

Bishop Ramos: A…