Vatican City, Jul 11, 2018 / 04:57 am
The Vatican announced Wednesday Pope Francis' appointment of Bishop Oscar Cantú of Las Cruces, New Mexico to be coadjutor bishop of San Jose, California.
As coadjutor, Cantú will assist Bishop Patrick J. McGrath, 73, in the administration of the Diocese of San Jose, and succeed McGrath upon his retirement or death.
Cantú, 51, has served as bishop of Las Cruces, New Mexico since February 2013. He is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, and French.
In 2016, the bishop was one of two delegates chosen to represent the U.S. bishops' conference during Pope Francis' visit to Mexico. After the pope's visit, the bishop told CNA it showed Mexico "that the Holy Father cares about you, and that God is with us even in difficult moments, even in the darkness of life."