José Luis Escobar Alas
Encyclopedia
José Luis Escobar Alas is the eleventh Bishop
and seventh Archbishop
of San Salvador
, El Salvador
. He succeeds Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Sáenz Lacalle
in that position, and holds the post once held by Archbishop Óscar Romero
, who was assassinated in 1980.
When Archbishop Escobar was appointed on December 27, 2008, he was the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Vicente
, El Salvador. He had been bishop of San Vicente since 2005, and auxiliary bishop (also of San Vicente) since 2002. He was ordained a priest in 1982. Escobar was born in the town of Suchitoto
in the department
of Cuzcatlán
. He studied for the priesthood at the San José de la Montaña seminary in San Salvador and in the Major Seminary in Morelia
, Mexico
. He obtained a degree in philosophy
at Pontifical Gregorian University
in Rome
. He was ordained a priest on August 15, 1982.
Thereafter, he served as rector of the minor diocesan seminary in San Vicente. He has also taught at the San José de la Montaña seminary in San Salvador. He was in charge of the Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Our Lady of the Pillar) parish in San Vicente. He was vicar general of the diocese of San Vicente before being named auxiliary bishop
by Pope John Paul II on January 19, 2002. He was created an auxiliary bishop on March 23, 2002 and then was made the diocesan bishop
of San Vicente on July 9, 2005, which was the post he had held until being named for his current post as Archbishop of San Salvador.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
and seventh Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of San Salvador
San Salvador
The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador...
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
. He succeeds Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Sáenz Lacalle
Fernando Sáenz Lacalle
-External links:*...
in that position, and holds the post once held by Archbishop Óscar Romero
Óscar Romero
Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez was a bishop of the Catholic Church in El Salvador. He became the fourth Archbishop of San Salvador, succeeding Luis Chávez. He was assassinated on 24 March 1980....
, who was assassinated in 1980.
When Archbishop Escobar was appointed on December 27, 2008, he was the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Vicente
Roman Catholic Diocese of San Vicente
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Vicente is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of San Salvador.-Ordinaries:*Pedro Arnoldo Aparicio y Quintanilla, S.D.B. *José Oscar Barahona Castillo...
, El Salvador. He had been bishop of San Vicente since 2005, and auxiliary bishop (also of San Vicente) since 2002. He was ordained a priest in 1982. Escobar was born in the town of Suchitoto
Suchitoto
Suchitoto is a municipality in the Cuscatlán department of El Salvador.Suchitoto is widely known throughout El Salvador for its church and for its cobblestone roads...
in the department
Departments of El Salvador
||A list of the departments of El Salvador in alphabetical order.Department :# Ahuachapán # Cabañas # Chalatenango # Cuscatlán # La Libertad # La Paz...
of Cuzcatlán
Cuscatlán Department
Cuscatlán is a department of El Salvador, located in the center of the country. With a surface area of , it is El Salvador's smallest department. It is inhabited by over 200,000 people. Cuscatlán or Cuzcatlán was the name the original inhabitants of the Western part of the country gave to most of...
. He studied for the priesthood at the San José de la Montaña seminary in San Salvador and in the Major Seminary in Morelia
Morelia
Morelia is a city and municipality in the north central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. The city is in the Guayangareo Valley and is the capital of the state. The main pre-Hispanic cultures here were the P'urhépecha and the Matlatzinca, but no major cities were founded in the...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. He obtained a degree in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He was ordained a priest on August 15, 1982.
Thereafter, he served as rector of the minor diocesan seminary in San Vicente. He has also taught at the San José de la Montaña seminary in San Salvador. He was in charge of the Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Our Lady of the Pillar) parish in San Vicente. He was vicar general of the diocese of San Vicente before being named auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
by Pope John Paul II on January 19, 2002. He was created an auxiliary bishop on March 23, 2002 and then was made the diocesan bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of San Vicente on July 9, 2005, which was the post he had held until being named for his current post as Archbishop of San Salvador.