The Diocese of Cancún-Chetumal is in mourning following the unexpected death of Pedro Pablo Elizondo Cárdenas, LC, emeritus bishop and apostolic administrator, which occurred this morning on Thursday, January 22, after suffering a heart attack in Mérida, Yucatán. The prelate, who had been relieved of his position just last December after submitting his resignation due to age limit, was preparing for the transition of his succession scheduled for February.
Pedro Pablo, the name given by the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, Marcial Maciel, to whom he was registered as Rosalío Elizondo Cárdenas, was born on September 4, 1949, in San José de Gracia, Michoacán, belonged to the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ. He completed his philosophy studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and theology at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas. He was ordained a priest on December 24, 1982, in Rome. His episcopal trajectory began in 2004, when Pope John Paul II appointed him prelate bishop of the prelature of Cancún-Chetumal, taking possession on November 22 of that year.
In 2020, Pope Francis elevated the prelature to a diocese, appointing him as its first diocesan bishop, a milestone he celebrated in the cathedral of Cancún before Apostolic Nuncio Franco Coppola and numerous faithful.
During his ministry, Elizondo focused on evangelization, ecclesial unity, and pastoral care in a region of rapid demographic and tourist growth. He promoted priestly vocations, attended to missionary works, and defended the dignity of the laity, administering the temporal goods of the diocese diligently. The handover in the diocese occurred on December 6, 2025, when Pope Leo XIV accepted his resignation for having exceeded 75 years, the age limit established in Canon Law.
Salvador González Morales was appointed as successor, until then auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Mexico and who would assume the title on February 27, 2026, in a ceremony open to the public at the Cancún Convention Center. Until then, Elizondo Cárdenas served as apostolic administrator, actively preparing the transition. «The Catholic community of Quintana Roo is preparing to receive its new shepherd,» the diocese had recently declared.
The Mexican Episcopal Conference, through a statement, asked the faithful to raise their prayers for the eternal rest of the bishop, expressing condolences to his family, friends, and the faithful of the Diocese of Cancún-Chetumal and to «the family of the Legionaries of Christ».
With more than 40 years of priestly service, Elizondo leaves a testimony of dedication. His unexpected departure highlights the fragility of life and the continuity of the ecclesial mission. The diocese, now in temporary sede vacante, will proceed with the canonical protocols to ensure the succession in February, awaiting details of the exequial liturgical celebrations to honor the bishop.
May he rest in peace.