Pope Francis has appointed Father Jesús Ruiz Molina, a Comboni missionary as Auxiliary Bishop of the diocese of Bangassou, Central African Republic. He was assigned the seat of the titular Bishopric of Are in Mauritania.
The new Bishop was born on January 23rd, 1959 in La Cueva de Roa, in the Diocese of Burgos – Spain. He studied at the Minor Seminary and then at the Major Seminary of the Diocese of Burgos. He completed studies in Philosophy and Theology at the Major Seminary of Moncada. He carried out further theological studies in Paris, France, attending courses in Religious Sciences. He was ordained a priest on 11 July 1987.
Since his ordination he has held the following pastoral and academic roles: 1987-1989: Missionary animation in Spain; 1990-1995: Vicar and then Parish priest of the Immaculate Conception of Bédjondo (Diocese of Sarh, Chad); 1996-2001: Formator of Comboni postulants and responsible for Comboni laity in Spain; 2002-2008: Provincial of the new Province in Chad; 2008: Studies at the University of Salamanca; 2009: Language Internship in the parish of Sant’Anna of Dekoa, in the Diocese of Kaga-Bandoro (Central Africa); Since 2008: Pastor in Moungoumba, Diocese of M’Baïki (Central Africa) and diocesan coordinator of the Commission for Catechesis. From 2013 to 2015 he was also a Councillor of the Comboni Delegation in Central Africa.
The Diocese of Bangassou, erected in 1964, has an area of 134,284 square kilometers and a population of 186,000 Catholics (19.2% of 448,000 total). There are 12 parishes, 29 priests (23 diocesan and 6 religious), 34 lay religious (8 brothers, 26 sisters) and 16 seminarians.
The diocese is under the pastoral responsibility of Comboni Bishop Juan-José Aguirre Muñoz.
