Newly appointed Argentine bishop resigns before installation
December 14, 2023
In an unusual turn of events, Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of an Argentine bishop from his new office just three weeks after his appointment, but before his installation.
On November 24, Pope Francis named Auxiliary Bishop José María Baliña of Buenos Aires, 64, as the new bishop of Mar del Plata, Argentina’s fifth-largest city. Ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires in 1989, Baliña was appointed an auxiliary bishop by Pope Francis in 2015.
In discussing his resignation, Bishop Baliña cited two recent operations for a detached retina, with a third scheduled for February.
“When my appointment was published, I received such an avalanche of greetings, reports, and recommendations that I realized that I was not in a position to take on the mission there,” he said. “After discerning it better and consulting with the Holy See, I decided to present my resignation.”
Bishop Baliña said that he would continue to offer his priestly service in the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires.
As he accepted Bishop Baliña’s resignation, Pope Francis named Auxiliary Bishop Gustavo Manuel Larrazábal, CMF, of San Juan de Cuyo as the new bishop of Mar del Plata.
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