The Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica redefines its leadership with a new Board of Directors for 2026-2029

The Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica will retain Monsignor Javier Román Arias as president for the 2026–2029 term, following the conclusion of its 132nd Ordinary Assembly, held August 3–7 at the Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles National Seminary.

The Board of Directors has made changes to two of its four positions. Bartolomé Buigues Oller, Bishop of Alajuela, will assume the vice presidency, while Daniel Francisco Blanco Méndez, Auxiliary Bishop of San José, will serve as secretary general. José Rafael Quirós Quirós, Archbishop of San José, will continue as treasurer.

The reorganization responds to statutory provisions: Mario Enrique Quirós Quirós, bishop of Cartago, completed the two consecutive terms allowed in the vice-presidency. Buigues Oller thus leaves the general secretariat that he held during 2023-2026 to take on another responsibility.

The election of officials was part of an agenda focused on pastoral discernment and evaluation. The bishops reviewed reports from the national commissions and outlined priorities for the new term, seeking to strengthen the Church’s mission in the face of current challenges.

For five days, the assembly focused its discussion on Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical *Magnifica Humanitas*, which centers on human dignity in the face of the challenges posed by artificial intelligence. The gathering coincided with the episcopal ordination of Monsignor Elímar Carvajal Durán as the third bishop of Puntarenas.

As the meeting drew to a close, the bishops cited the country’s national political situation as one of their concerns. Faced with a climate of polarization and mistrust, they called for a return to listening and dialogue as tools for developing common responses.

The Episcopal Conference called on the executive, legislative, and judicial branches to maintain relations based on “respect, independence, and collaboration.” It noted that Costa Rica’s democratic experience has shown greater progress when these sectors have been able to listen to one another, respect one another, and work together.

You may be interested in: The Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference calls to halt the bill on assisted reproduction as it is considered to violate human dignity

Subscribe for free to our Whatsapp channel https://bit.ly/4hbWWN0 

Discover the new 2026 offer of courses, diplomas, and degrees at Cebitepal https://bit.ly/4aHAue1 

Because we must care for those who protect creation, the podcast Life Hangs by a Thread arrives https://bit.ly/46cGUiB