According to the Conferencia Episcopal Peruana, León XIV has entrusted the provisional administration of the Vicariato Apostólico de San José del Amazonas to the Spanish priest César Luis Caro Puértolas, until now vicar general. The change occurs after the early resignation of the bishop, Monsignor José Javier Travieso Martín, for health reasons.
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The decision ensures the continuity of ecclesiastical governance in one of the country’s most extensive and complex circumscriptions, located in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, while the Holy See determines the definitive steps for its pastoral future.
What an ad nutum Sanctae Sedis appointment implies
The figure of the apostolic administrator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis is applied in exceptional situations and has a transitory character. The designated priest assumes the governance functions proper to the diocesan bishop, with the limitations established by canon law and under the principle that, during this period, no substantial innovations should be introduced.
The objective is to preserve the pastoral and administrative stability of the jurisdiction, avoiding authority vacuums and ensuring ordinary care for local communities.
A profile linked to the Amazonian mission
Father César Caro, a Spanish priest incardinated in the Archdiocese of Mérida-Badajoz, has been developing his ministry in Peru since 2014. After an initial pastoral stage in the diocese of Chachapoyas, he joined the Vicariato San José del Amazonas in 2017, where he has served in both mission roles and governance responsibilities.
His appointment ensures the continuity of a pastoral line already known in the region, marked by missionary work in hard-to-reach areas and care for scattered communities along the Amazonian rivers.
An appointment in the context of the ad limina visit
According to information disseminated by Aciprensa, the immediate context of the change coincided with the recent ad limina visit of the bishops of Peru to the Vatican. Due to his delicate state of health, Monsignor Travieso was unable to participate in said visit, with Father Caro himself attending on behalf of the vicariate and being received in audience by Pope León XIV.