Dom Joaquín Pertiñez says goodbye to command of the Diocese of Rio Branco After 27 years, Bishop Dom Joaquín Pertíñez Fernández officially left command of the Diocese of Rio Branco this Thursday (2). The resignation was accepted by Pope Leo XIV last Wednesday (1st). The departure, according to the religious man, is due to health reasons with the recommendation of the medical team. In 2023, the bishop was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Santa Juliana Hospital with a heart problem. According to Pertiñez, the cardiologist recommended that he change several lifestyle habits. ? Join the g1 AC channel on WhatsApp “So, to avoid possible consequences, [he] asked for a reduction in working hours, a reduction in physical, labor, mental efforts and so on,” he stated. Dom Joaquín Pertíñez was born in Granada, Spain, and arrived in the Amazon region in 1988. On May 30, 1999, 11 years later, he was ordained in Rio Branco. MORE Amazonas, to lead the Diocese until the permanent appointment of a new pastoral leader. According to Dom Joaquín, there are still no defined plans for the future. "I don't know what will happen to me, in terms of health. Anyway, I don't have anything planned and I invite everyone to start praying for God to send the bishop he needs in this Diocese", he commented. Bishop Dom Joaquín Pertíñez Richard Lauriano / Rede Amazônica Legado Author of around 30 books, Dom Joaquín portrays the results of historical research that talks about the Catholic faith in Acre. According to Father Macoy Soares, treasurer of the Diocese, when the bishop arrived in Rio Branco, the capital had only 17 parishes. It currently has 36. According to the priest, Dom Joaquín has always been involved in the church's evangelization and social works, and was responsible for implementing ecclesiastical training seminars. Furthermore, he founded the Diocesan College (Fadisi), which offers undergraduate and extension courses. "When Dom Joaquín arrived here there were 18 priests. And he is delivering the Diocese with 60 priests. That is, 42 new priests. So, this is very important for our Diocese", he detailed. Review Acre’s news programs