After accepting the resignation of Mons. Miguel Ángel Alba Díaz due to age and health reasons
This Saturday morning, January 31, the Mexican Episcopal Conference announced that Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation from the pastoral government of the Diocese of La Paz presented by Miguel Ángel Alba Díaz, who has served this see for more than two decades. Immediately and automatically, Miguel Ángel Espinoza Garza, until now coadjutor bishop of the same diocese, assumes as residential bishop in one of the most extensive and challenging regions of northwestern Mexico.
Alba Díaz, born in Monterrey in 1951 was appointed Bishop of La Paz in 2001 by St. John Paul II. Having reached 75 years and facing health limitations that affect his mobility, he presented his resignation in accordance with canon 401 §1 of the Code of Canon Law. On various occasions he has expressed his desire to remain in La Paz after retirement, showing deep affection for the Sudcalifornian land: “I love and feel identified with this region,” he has declared, ruling out a return to his native city. It is anticipated that his formal farewell will take place in February, possibly in the Cathedral of Our Lady of La Paz.
Miguel Ángel Espinoza Garza, born in Saltillo, Coahuila, in 1967, was appointed coadjutor bishop of La Paz by Pope Francis in November 2022 and consecrated in March 2023. He holds a degree in Philosophy and Theology from the Pontifical University of Mexico and has complementary studies in Rome; he was ordained a priest in 1993. Before his transfer to Baja California Sur, he held relevant positions in his diocese of origin, including vicar general and rector of the Major Seminary of Saltillo. His appointment as coadjutor with right of succession was interpreted as a strategic preparation to ensure a serene and knowledgeable transition of the territory, with its particularities: scattered indigenous communities, rural areas with difficult access, constant migration, and the impact of tourism on ecclesial life.
The CEM expressed its “joy and prayer” for the new bishop, wishing him “a fruitful performance in his new assignment”. The appointment ensures continuity in pastoral projects, such as the First Diocesan Synod (2003-2008), attention to vocations, and social pastoral care in a diocese that faces challenges like rural poverty, natural disasters, and the migratory phenomenon.
The Diocese of La Paz, erected as such in 1988 by John Paul II through the bull *Quandoquidem Concilium*, covers the entire state of Baja California Sur (73,677 km²) and belongs to the Ecclesiastical Province of Baja California, suffragan of the Archdiocese of Tijuana. It is organized into six deaneries and serves an approximate population of 769,000 inhabitants, of which 71.3% is concentrated in the south, thanks to water availability and tourist development.
Its evangelizing roots date back to the 16th century. In 1533, Hernán Cortés arrived at the bay he called Santa Cruz (today La Paz), accompanied by Franciscans. In 1596, Sebastián Vizcaíno and more Franciscans renamed it Bahía de La Paz. The first secular priests arrived in 1633 with Fr. Diego de la Nava. The Jesuits, led by Eusebio Kino in 1683 and then by Juan María de Salvatierra in 1697, founded the Mission of Our Lady of Loreto, considered the “mother of the Californian missions”. Before their expulsion in 1768, they established 18 missions. The Franciscans (with Junípero Serra) and then the Dominicans continued the work.
In 1840, Gregory XVI created the Diocese of Both Californias. In 1855, the first apostolic vicar of Baja California was appointed, Juan Francisco Escalante y Moreno, who began the construction of the current cathedral in 1861. The 20th century brought Comboni missionaries (1948), the Apostolic Prefecture (1958), and the first bishop-vicar, Gilberto Valbuena Sánchez (1976). In 1988, the full diocese was erected, with Valbuena as the first residential bishop, followed by Braulio Rafael León Villegas (1990-1999) and the last bishop, Miguel Ángel Alba Díaz.
From this blog, we wish a fruitful ministry to the new Bishop of La Paz. Congratulations!