CEAMA celebrates the appointment of Father Jesús Alberto Torres Ariza as the new bishop of the Diocese of San José del Guaviare, designated by Pope Leo XIV. Until now Vicar of Pastoral Care for the Diocese of Valledupar, Father Torres Ariza assumes this new episcopal service in the heart of the northeastern Colombian Amazon.
With this decision, the new bishop becomes the fifth pastor of this particular Church, succeeding Monsignor Nelson Jair Cardona Ramírez, who was transferred to the Diocese of Pereira on October 4, 2024. Since December 6 of that same year, the see had remained under the administration of Father Edgar Liévano Labrador, appointed Diocesan Administrator by the College of Consultors.
A pastor trained in the mission
Born in Urumita (César) on June 6, 1975, Father Jesús Alberto Torres Ariza studied philosophy and theology at the John Paul II Seminary in Valledupar, where he was ordained a priest on August 2, 2003.
His academic background includes a licentiate in missiology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (2011) and a licentiate in religious studies from the Javeriana University in Bogotá.
For more than twenty years of ministry, he has served with dedication to the Diocese of Valledupar in a wide variety of pastoral responsibilities:
- Parish priest in several communities, including Santa María Madre y Reina de la Paz.
- Vicar of Pastoral Care and Episcopal Delegate of Social Pastoral Care.
- Director of the Food Bank.
- Rector of El Carmelo School.
- Delegate for Educational and Indigenous Pastoral Care.
- Professor of Pastoral Theology and Missiology at the Diocesan Seminary.
- Member of the Presbyteral Council and the College of Consultors.
His experience in multicultural contexts and his pastoral missionary sensitivity stand out as central features of his ecclesial service.
An Amazonian Church with a deep evangelizing vocation
Established in 2000, the Diocese of San José del Guaviare is heir to a missionary tradition that dates back to the evangelizing efforts of Jesuits and Carmelites in the 17th century, later continued by the Montfortians and the Missionaries of Yarumal. This legacy has consolidated a permanent commitment to the indigenous peoples, rural communities, and vulnerable populations of the region.
Currently, the Diocese has two vicariates and 18 parishes, both urban and rural. Its pastoral work includes evangelization, educational programs through contracted venues, productive projects, social accompaniment, and sustained efforts toward reconciliation and peace in a territory marked by complex challenges and enormous cultural and environmental wealth.
A new chapter for Guaviare and for the Church in the Amazon
CEAMA welcomes this appointment with joy and recognizes in Father Jesús Alberto Torres Ariza a pastor with solid pastoral experience, a missionary vision, and a deep commitment to the territories and their communities.
His episcopal service in San José del Guaviare will undoubtedly be a significant contribution to continuing to build a Church with an Amazonian face, one that is close, synodal, and committed to the life and hope of the peoples.