Juan de Dios Peña Rojas appointed bishop of Barinas, Venezuela
Pope León XIV named Monsignor Juan de Dios Peña Rojas as the new bishop of the Diocese of Barinas on 29 July, transferring him from his previous see in El Vigía‑San Carlos del Zulia. The appointment follows the resignation of Jesús Alfonso Guerrero Contreras after reaching the canonical retirement age.
Peña Rojas, born 8 August 1967 in Acequias, Mérida, was ordained a priest on 22 August 1992 and became bishop of El Vigía‑San Carlos del Zulia on 17 April 2015, receiving episcopal ordination on 4 July. He also serves as president of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference’s Commission of Culture and Cultural Goods. The Barinas diocese spans more than 35,000 km², comprises 45 parishes, 12 municipalities, 75 priests and counted 789 baptized faithful in 2023.
Entities: Barinas Diocese · Jesús Alfonso Guerrero Contreras · Juan de Dios Peña Rojas · Pope León XIV · Venezuelan Episcopal Conference
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Barinas diocese covers over 35,000 km², includes 45 parishes, 12 municipalities, 75 priests and 789 baptized members as of 2023. (diocese_statistics)
- [● 3 SOURCES] He was ordained a priest on 22 August 1992. (ordination)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Jesús Alfonso Guerrero Contreras resigned as bishop of Barinas after reaching the canonical retirement age. (resignation)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Juan de Dios Peña Rojas had been bishop of El Vigía‑San Carlos del Zulia since 17 April 2015. (served_as_bishop)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Juan de Dios Peña Rojas serves as president of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference’s Commission of Culture and Cultural Goods. (commission_presidency)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Juan de Dios Peña Rojas was born on 8 August 1967 in Acequias, Mérida, Venezuela. (birthdate_and_place)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Pope León XIV appointed Juan de Dios Peña Rojas as bishop of the Diocese of Barinas on 29 July. (appointed)
- [● 3 SOURCES] He received episcopal ordination on 4 July 2015. (episcopal_ordination)