The new bishop of Girona, the abbot of the monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet, Octavi Vilà, will be ordained on Sunday, April 21 in the Cathedral of Girona, in a ceremony that will be attended by the cardinal archbishop of Barcelona, Juan José Omella; of the archbishop of Tarragona, Joan Planellas and with the apostolic nuncio in Spain, Bernardito Auza. He will also be accompanied by the rest of the Catalan bishops.
Today Pope Francis appointed the Cistercian monk Octavi Vilà as the new bishop of Girona. The Holy See made it public at noon. An appointment that the Bishopric of Girona has celebrated after two years with the see vacant. Since Francesc Pardo died on March 31, 2022, the diocese was in an interim situation.
Since then, Vicar General Lluís Suñer exercised the functions of diocesan administrator, a position that he will continue to carry out until the day of episcopal ordination and the inauguration of the new bishop.
Suñer, in an appearance this afternoon before the media, celebrated the appointment. "It is good news for Girona and the Bishopric," he explained and highlighted the "close, helpful, hard-working and contemplative" character of who will be the new bishop, who will become the 115th of the Girona diocese.
Suñer has assessed "very positively" the fact that the chosen one is a monk, something unusual within Spanish dioceses. "We need a person who in turbulent times gives us peace, gives us the interior vision necessary to face the situation we are experiencing, not only ecclesial but also social, and I believe that a monk like him can help us."
Suñer has stated that his name is "a great asset for the Church of Girona." "I think he will be the right bishop for us," the diocesan administrator remarked a couple of times during his appearance.
In this sense, Suñer considers that "it has been worth the wait" of almost two years with the diocese vacant. "With this profile it has been worth the wait and the fact that we have had to sacrifice a little more," indicated the diocesan administrator.
