It was a Saturday morning in early February, prior to Pope Francis’s hospitalisation, when the then Cardinal Robert Prevost -now Pope Lion XIV- discussed with the pontiff the name of the new bishop of Tenerife, Eloy Santiago, which was announced at a press conference held on Monday, February 24, in accordance with the Holy See’s mandate.
The then Monsignor Prevost, who has headed the Dicastery for the Bishops since January 2023 and was created a Cardinal in September of the same year, was tasked to finalise the appointment of Bernardo Álvarez’s successor at the helm of the diocese of Tenerife.
As it is stated in the Responsibilities assigned to Cardinal Prevost, the Dicastery he led “handles all matters concerning the appointment of diocesan and titular bishops, apostolic administrators, and generally the administration of particular churches. It does so by taking into account the recommendations from local churches, episcopal conferences, and papal representations, and after consulting the members of the presidency of the respective Episcopal and Metropolitan Conference. The process also suitably involves members of the faithful from the dioceses in question.”
Additionally, the then nuncio of his holiness in Spain, Archbishop Bernardito Auza acted as a conduit between Tenerife and the Vatican in managing Bernardo Álvarez’s resignation and even conducted the necessary consultations before submitting the proposal to the Holy See, being the one responsible for the bishops’ supply dicastery who presented the final proposal for Pope Francis’s approval.
In a recent interview published by Vatican News, the then Cardinal Prevost remarked on Pope Francis, noting that, in his role overseeing the bishops’ supply dicastery, he met weekly with the Pontiff over the two years he held that position. These meetings took place every Saturday morning, as reported by journalist Tiziana Campisi from Vatican City.
“Until the very end, he wanted to dedicate himself entirely to his ministry, his work, and his service in the Church,” said Monsignor Prevost. “Initially, it was at 8 in the morning. But at times, I arrived early at 7:30, and he would be waiting for me, prompting me to come a bit earlier and occasionally to be there ahead of time.” Significant matters were discussed, but Francis would often add this advice: “He told me, among other things, at the conclusion of our meetings: ‘Don’t lose your sense of humour; you must smile,’” recalled Monsignor Prevost.
“He was always very well informed,” he stated regarding Pope Francis. “Often, before I arrived, he had already reviewed the matters and was aware of what decisions he wanted to implement. He truly kept abreast not only of the work within the dicastery for the bishops, but also – as I’ve learned from conversations with various prefects – of other dicasteries. He had a deep love for the Church and was committed to executing what he believed was his mission. He was tireless, even in the weeks following his hospitalisation. When he returned to Santa Marta, we held some meetings, and on those occasions, I saw how courageous he was; he gave everything to serve the Church,” he shared in his final interview prior to his election as Pope, which coincidentally took place shortly before Pope Francis took office.
