Gabriel Maestre is no longer Archbishop of La Plata | This Monday the Vatican confirmed his resignation

A few days after delivering his message at the Tandem of La Plata on May 25, Archbishop Gabriel Maestre of La Plata presented his resignation, which was already accepted by Pope Francis and left the position he had reached in September last year.

“The Holy Father has accepted the resignation presented by His Excellency the Most Reverend Monsignor Gabriel Antonio Maestre from the pastoral government of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of La Plata (Argentina),” the text says Bulletin of the Sala Stampa of the Holy See for this MondayWhich does not go deep into the reasons for resignation.

However, and Through a public letter, Mestre goes into depth and assures that it was the Supreme Pontiff who asked him to resign Which was completed in the last hours. “A few days ago, after my transfer to the Archdiocese of La Plata upon being appointed Metropolitan Archbishop by Pope Francis, the Holy See called me to Rome to discuss some aspects of the Diocese of Mar del Plata,” Mestre said in his “Letter to the Community”.

“In the Eternal City, Faced with some different perceptions about what happened in the Diocese of Mar del Plata from November 2023 to the present, Pope Francis asked me to resign from the See of La Plata.”, he describes, and adds: “With profound peace of mind and absolute rightness of conscience before God for the action I had undertaken, believing that the truth makes us free (cf. Jn 8:32), and with filial and theological obedience to the Holy Father, I immediately wrote my resignation, which was accepted and made public today.

Although it does not specify the details of the conversation, Mestre’s letter It appears that the “different perceptions” were directly related to the situation in the Diocese of Mar del Plata.

Mestre was ordained a priest on May 16, 1997 by Monsignor José María Aransedo, then bishop of this city. Then, He was elected Bishop of Mar del Plata by Pope Francis on July 18, 2017 and consecrated bishop on August 26, 2017 at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Cecilia in Mar del Plata.. From there, he was chosen by the Pope to replace him “Tucho” Fernandez Whom Francis appointed Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

His appointment was celebrated by a large part of the Buenos Aires Catholic community and the political community of the capital region, which accompanied his arrival in September 2023 and was present this Saturday at the La Plata Cathedral during the Tandem, in which the archbishop called “to listen seriously to the poorest, abandoned and vulnerable people of today, seeking to respond to all their needs.”

Although very few people knew that The matter of his resignation had already been resolved.

Letter to the Archdiocese of La Plata

Archdiocese of La Plata where its parties are involved Berisso, Ensenada, La Plata, Magdalena and Punta IndioWith a total area of ​​4,652 square kilometres and a population of 1,040,280 inhabitants, of whom it is estimated that 85 percent are Catholic.

“I want to tell you that in these eight and a half months I have been very happy and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”Mestre wrote in his departure explaining the importance of the archdiocese, which is made up of 78 parishes, 138 priests, 123 diocesan and 15 religious, 4 permanent deacons, 87 major seminarians, 45 men religious, 333 nuns, and 192 educational centers of the Church.

“I’m sad to leave it, I’m sad to leave you as the pastor of this special church that is a pilgrimage in La Plata, but I’m sure God has much better plans that I can’t fulfill today”assured in the closing message: “I trust in the Lord because Christ is our peace (Eph 2:14)! I will always keep you in my heart, I will pray for you and I entrust you with the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the intercession of Blessed Ludovica and Blessed Eduardo Pironio, so that you can prepare this new stage while waiting for the new shepherd that the Lord will give them through the beloved Pope Francis.”

Now, in La Plata they are once again awaiting judgment, You have to come from the Vatican. Till then he will be in charge of the “vacant headquarters” Monsignor Alberto Germán Bocchatti,