The Holy Father Leo XIV has appointed Msgr. Andrés Gabriel Ferrada Moreira as the new bishop of the diocese of San Bartolomé de Chillán (Chile), transferring him from the titular see of Tiburnia and from the position of secretary of the Dicastery for the Clergy, while retaining the personal title of archbishop. This was announced on Friday, October 31, 2025, by the Holy See Press Office.
Born in Santiago de Chile on June 10, 1969, Msgr. Ferrada studied Law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and obtained the Baccalaureatus in Theologia at the Pontifical Seminary of Santiago. He later earned a licentiate in Biblical Sciences at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and a doctorate in Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
Ordained a priest on July 3, 1999, he held various pastoral, academic, and training positions in Chile and Germany before being called to Rome in 2018 as an official of the Congregation for the Clergy. In 2021, he was appointed secretary of the same Dicastery and ordained titular archbishop of Tiburnia. He is a member of the Dicastery for Evangelization and the Dicastery for Bishops.
A change with internal implications in the Curia
The appointment of Msgr. Ferrada Moreira means his definitive departure from the Roman Curia, where he had been one of the closest collaborators to the previous pontificate. According to the media outlet Silere Non Possum, the transfer to Chillán represents “the closing of a chapter marked by internal tensions” within the Dicastery for the Clergy.
The article notes that the new pontificate of Leo XIV continues with determination a process of renewal of the Curia, correcting overly centralized styles of governance inherited from the past. Citing Vatican sources, the outlet points out that Ferrada’s management was characterized by a “rigid and confrontational method,” which would have caused friction both with direct collaborators and with numerous diocesan bishops from different parts of the world.
“Ferrada’s return to Chile is received with a sigh of relief, both in the halls of the Vatican and in the dioceses,” writes Silere Non Possum, which emphasizes the hope that the Holy Father will now appoint a successor “capable of restoring a climate of paternity and pastoral discernment in the Dicastery.”
A figure marked by contrasts
During his time in Rome, the Chilean prelate concentrated responsibilities within the body in charge of the formation and care of the clergy. Silere Non Possum describes his passage through the Curia as a period of controversial decisions and loss of confidence on the part of some bishops. Among the criticisms, delays in administrative processes and unequal treatment toward sensitive cases involving priests are mentioned.
Nevertheless, Ferrada was also recognized for his academic capacity and profound theological knowledge. His episcopal appointment in Chile could be interpreted as an opportunity for pastoral reconciliation after years of service in the administrative center of the universal Church.
A new stage in Chile
The diocese of San Bartolomé de Chillán has around 400,000 faithful and a rich ecclesial history in southern Chile. The new bishop will take on the challenge of revitalizing the diocesan pastoral care in a context of growing secularization and moral reconstruction following the years of ecclesial crisis in the country.