Today Pope Francis appointed Spanish Capuchin Franciscan, Celestino Aos Braco, as Archbishop of Santiago. To date, he had been Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese. And the Holy Father also appointed Monsignor Fernando Ramos Perez — former Auxiliary Bishop of Santiago and Apostolic Administrator of Rancagua –, Archbishop of Puerto Montt.
The Holy See Press Office and the Archbishopric of Santiago confirmed these two appointments this afternoon, December 27, 2019.
Sedes Vacantes in Chile
There are five Ecclesiastical Provinces in Chile, headed by their capitals: Antofagasta, La Serena, Santiago, Concepcion and Puerto Montt. Up to now, two of the five Archdioceses remained sedes vacantes: Santiago and Puerto Montt, which posts will now be filled by Archbishops Celestino Aos Braco and Fernando Ramos Perez, respectively.
Now there will be eight sedes vacantes of the 27 ecclesiastical jurisdictions in Chile: Copiapo, headed by a diocesan Administrator; and San Felipe, Rancagua, Valparaiso, Talca, Chillan, Valdivia and Osorno, all headed by an Apostolic Administrator.
Monsignor Celestino Aos Braco
Was born on April 6, 1945 in Artaiz, Navarre, Spain. He attended primary and middle school in the Mixed National School of Artaiz.
On August 16, 1955 he entered as aspirant in the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins in his native land. Between 1960 and 1963 he studied Philosophy in Zaragoza. On August 14, 1963, he entered the noviciate of Sanguesa, making his first religious profession on August 15, 1964. Between 1964 and 1968, he completed his theological studies in Pamplona, where he made his perpetual profession on September 16, 1967.
Monsignor Ignacio Larranaga, O.F.M. Cap. ordained him a priest on March 30, 1968. After his priestly Ordination, he was an educator and professor in Lecaroz and Vicar in Tudela (Navarre).
Between 1972 and 1980 he took specialized courses at the University of Zaragoza and then at the University of Barcelona, where he obtained a Licentiate in Psychology. Between 1980 and 1981 he frequented the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile thanks to an international scholarship for research in Psychology. After returning to Spain, he was a Professor in Pamplona and later Vicar Co-operator in Zaragoza.
In 1983 he was sent to the Province of Chile and appointed parish Vicar in the parish of Longavi (diocese of Linares), entrusted to the Capuchin Fathers. In 1985 he was elected Superior of the Capuchin community of Los Angeles (diocese of Santa Maria de los Angeles).
In 1996 he was appointed parish priest of the parish of Saint Michael in Vina del Mar (diocese of Valparaiso), being in addition Superior of the community of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins in the Recreo sector of Vina del Mar.
During his years of ministry in the diocese of Valparaiso he was Episcopal Vicar for Feminine Institutes of Consecrated Life and a member of the Episcopal Council. From 2008 he was parish Vicar in the parish of Saint Francis of Assisi in the diocese of Santa Maria de los Angeles.
Among the posts he has held are: Treasurer of the Chilean Canon Law Association; Promoter of Justice in the Ecclesiastical Court of Valparaiso; psychologist and judge in the inter-diocesan Ecclesiastical Court of Concepcion; member of the special courts that studied the historical processes in the cause of Beatification and Canonization of Father Alberto Hurtado.
On July 25, 2014, Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of the dioceses of Copiapo. Monsignor Ivo Scapolo, the Apostolic Nuncio, consecrated him Bishop on October 18, 2014, date in which he took possession of the diocese of Copiapo.
Among the offices entrusted to him by the Episcopal Conference, Bishop Celestino Aos Braco is a member of the Episcopal Commission for Relations with CONFERRE (Conference of men and women Religious in Chile) and President of the National Commission of Presbyterial Pastoral ministry organism of the area of Evangelizing Agents.
On March 23, 2019, the Holy Father appointed him Apostolic Administrator sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile, after accepting the resignation tendered by Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati. Pope Francis appointed him today, December 27, 2019, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile.
Monsignor Luis Fernando Ramos Perez
Monsignor Luis Fernando Ramos Perez was born on January 2, 1959 in Santiago de Chile, son of Olegario Ramos and Alicia Perez. He attended primary and middle school in the Pontifical Minor Seminary College of Santiago. Between 1976 and 1980 he studied at the University of Chile, graduating with the degree in Forest Engineering.
He entered the Major Pontifical Seminary of Santiago in 1983, where he studied Philosophy and Theology. On August 12, 1989 Cardinal Juan Francisco Fresno Larrain, Archbishop of Santiago, ordained him Deacon on August 12, 1989. Cardinal Carlos Oviedo Cavada, the successive Archbishop, ordained him a priest on May 5, 1990.
After his priestly Ordination, he was appointed Prefect of Philosophy of the Pontifical Major Seminary of Santiago. At the same time, he was parish Vicar for a short time of the parish of Christ Emmaus, until March 1993, and then of the parish of Saint Toribius of Mogrovejo
He was sent to Rome in 1993 to study at the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he received a Doctorate in Theology specializing in Sacred Scripture. In 1999 he was called to serve in the Congregation for Bishops, where he remained until March of 2007, when he returned to his native Archdiocese.
It was at that time that he was appointed Episcopal Vicar for Education. In December of 2007 he was appointed Rector of the Pontifical Major Seminary of Santiago. At present, he is also President of the Organization of Seminaries of Chile (OSCHI) and Vice-President of the Organization of Seminaries of Latin America (OSLAM). Given his office, he is a member of the Archdiocese’s Presbyterial Council.
In September of 2011 Monsignor Ricardo Ezzati Andrello created the Episcopal Vicariate for the Clergy and appointed Monsignor Ramos as its first Vicar.
He is also a member of the National Council for the Prevention of Abuses of Minors and Accompaniment of Victims, created in 2011 by the Episcopal Conference of Chile.
On February 1, 2014, Pope Francis appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Santiago de Chile, assigning him the titular headquarters of Tetci.
Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, Archbishop of Santiago, ordained him Bishop on May 10, 2014 in the Metropolitan Cathedral. He was President of the Pastoral Area of Communications between November 2014 and November 2016.
In November 2016 he was elected Secretary General, completing the period of Monsignor Cristian Contreras V., then elected Vice-President. He assumed that office as Coordinator of the National Preparatory Commission of Pope Francis’ visit to Chile in January of 2018.
He was elected Secretary General for a three-year period in November 2017.
Moreover, on June 28 of this year, Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Administrator sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the diocese of Rancagua. And today, December 27, 2019, the Holy Father appointed him Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Puerto Montt.
