Bernardo Álvarez Afonso

The Most Reverend

Bernardo Álvarez Afonso
Bishop Emeritus of San Cristóbal de La Laguna
ChurchCatholic Church
SeeSan Cristóbal de La Laguna
In office2005-2024
PredecessorFelipe Fernández García
Orders
Consecration4 September 2005
by Manuel Monteiro de Castro
Personal details
Born (1949-07-29) 29 July 1949 (age 75)
Breña Alta, La Palma-Spain
MottoOMNIBUS OMNIA FACTUS SUM / ME HE HECHO TODO A TODOS
Coat of armsBernardo Álvarez Afonso's coat of arms

Bernardo Álvarez Afonso (born 29 July 1949) is a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna in Tenerife, commonly known as the Diocese of Tenerife, from 2005 to 2024.

Biography

Bernardo Álvarez Afonso was born on 29 July 1949 in Breña Alta, island of La Palma, in the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. He studied technical architecture and then entered the diocesan seminary. He was ordained a priest on 16 July 1976. In 1994 he earned a licentiate in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University.[1]

On 29 June 2005, Pope Benedict XVI named him bishop of San Cristóbal de La Laguna.[1] He received his episcopal consecration on 4 September in the Iglesia de la Concepción, the provisional cathedral of the diocese, from Archbishop Manuel Monteiro de Castro, Apostolic Nuncio to Spain. Álvarez was the second native of the Canary Islands to lead the diocese after Bishop Domingo Pérez Cáceres.

In a 2007 interview with local paper La Opinión de Tenerife, he stated: "There are adolescents of thirteen years of age who are minors and are totally in agreement and furthermore desire it. Even if you take care they provoke you." This led to a headline reading "Bishop of Tenerife blames child abuse on the children".[2]

In 2014, the canonization of Blessed José de Anchieta by Pope Francis took place.[3] On April 24, the Mass of thanksgiving for the canonization presided over by the Pope was celebrated in Rome and attended by Bishop Bernardo Álvarez accompanied by a Canarian representation. José de Anchieta born in Tenerife and missionary in Brazil, became the second canary to be canonized by the Catholic Church, after the Peter of Saint Joseph de Betancur in 2002.[4]

On 21 December 2019, Álvarez opened the Holy Door of the Cathedral of San Cristóbal de La Laguna on the occasion of the Jubilee Year for the 200th anniversary of the founding of the diocese.[5]

Pope Francis accepted his resignation on 16 September 2024.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b "Rinunce e Nomine, 30.06.2005" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 30 June 2005. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Bishop of Tenerife blames child abuse on the children". Archived from the original on 10 April 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
  3. ^ La canonización del padre José de Anchieta será el próximo 2 de abril en Roma
  4. ^ "La canonización del padre Anchieta será el 2 de abril". Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  5. ^ La Puerta Santa de la Catedral se abre el 21 por el bicentenario de la Diócesis
  6. ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 16.09.2024" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 16 September 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
Additional sources