Bishop Teodoro Gómez dies during layover in Madrid

Monsignor Teodoro Gómez Rivera, the Bishop of the Diocese of Choluteca and Vice President of the Episcopal Conference of Honduras, passed away suddenly on September 28 in Madrid, Spain.

Gómez was in transit at the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas International Airport while traveling to Rome to participate in the ‘Visita Ad Limina Apostolorum,’ a scheduled meeting between bishops and the Pope. Reports indicate he suffered a respiratory arrest during the layover before completing immigration procedures.

The Honduran Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy in Madrid are currently coordinating with Spanish authorities to manage the legal and administrative processes required for the repatriation of his remains. His body has been transferred to the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences in Madrid for a mandatory autopsy.

Gómez, 63, was a prominent figure in the Honduran Church, having served as the first native bishop of Choluteca, President of Cáritas Honduras, and Auxiliary Bishop of Tegucigalpa. His sudden death has caused significant mourning across the Honduran Catholic community.