Francis Appoints Street Clothes Bishop
The bishop emeritus of Albacete, Ángel Fernández, 72, resigned in April 2024 due to health problems.
InfoVaticana.com describes the new bishop as a man of "markedly social nature and allergic to clerical clothes".
And, "He is one of those priests who never took off his jeans and plaid shirt. Now, for the first time in his life, he will have to go to the store to buy priestly clothes."
Monsignor Román wore casual clothes even to official meetings in the Diocese of Alcalá.
The new bishop was a seminary classmate of Cardinal José Cobo, 59, of Madrid, a member of the Vatican's Dicastery for Bishops. Cardinal Cobo is apparently in charge of selecting new bishops for Spain.
This explains why the Holy See didn't choose the current Apostolic Administrator of the diocese of Albacete, Julián Ros, who is close to Opus Dei.
This is the second episcopal appointment that Francis has made for Spain since his hospitalization. The first was the February 24 appointment of Monsignor Eloy Alberto Santiago Santiago, 51, as Bishop of Tenerife.
Picture: InfoVaticana.com, #newsXipdopeonj