SANTO DOMINGO.– In a solemn Eucharist celebrated in the Primate Cathedral of America, Monsignor Carlos Tomás Morel Diplán officially assumed office as Coadjutor Archbishop of Santo Domingo, with the right to succession from Monsignor Francisco Ozoria Acosta, in compliance with the designation of Pope Leo XIV.
The mass, presided over by Metropolitan Archbishop Ozoria Acosta, was attended by the Apostolic Nuncio to the Dominican Republic, Monsignor Piergiorgio Bertoldi, as well as bishops, priests, men and women religious and hundreds of faithful who gathered to accompany this transcendental moment for the Dominican Church.
At the conclusion of the celebration, Monsignor Morel Diplán thanked the Holy Father for the trust placed in him and expressed his desire to take on this new pastoral service “with obedience, hope and confidence in the grace of God.”
“I thank Pope Leo XIV for trusting in this mission that involves a great commitment. I trust, as I have always done, in the possibility of God and in the maternal company of the Virgin, who never abandons us in difficult moments,” said the new coadjutor archbishop.
During his message, commented on the three pastoral axes that will guide his service in the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo: serve with love, listen with generosity and accompany with closeness.
“I have been ordained to serve, not to be served. Being a bishop is not an honor, but a responsibility in the style of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who gave his life for his people,” he stressed.
In addition, highlighted the importance of attentive and compassionate listening as an essential dimension of pastoral ministry:
“Our people need to be listened to with attention and affection. Listening is also evangelizing; It is opening the heart to understand the wounds, joys and hopes of others.”
Monsignor Morel Diplán also called to accompany with tenderness to priests, religious and lay people in their processes of life and faith:
“The priest is a companion, but it also needs to be accompanied. “I am willing to walk with everyone, to be available to listen, console and strengthen the mission that the Lord has entrusted to us.”
The ceremony concluded with a special blessing to the Dominican nation and a call to unity, faith and service to others.
Before his appointment as Coadjutor Archbishop, Monsignor Morel Diplán served as bishop of the diocese of La Vega, where he distinguished himself for his pastoral closeness, his promotion of youth ministry and his commitment to the formation of the clergy.
