Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has, 12 February 2005,
appointed Vicar Apostolic of Darien (Panama) Reverend Father Pedro Hernandez Cantarero, C.M.F., Director of the Claretian Centre of Formation for Seminarians in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), assigning to him the titular see of Tabraca.
Reverend Pedro Hernandez Cantarero, C.M.F., was born in Jinotepe, department of Carazo, archdiocese of Managua, Nicaragua, on 29 June 1954. Ha studied in Costa Rica, Colombia (Medellin) and Spain (Salamanca), obtaining a Licentiate in Theology of the Consecrated Life.
He was ordained a priest on 15 November 1986. Since then he has held the following positions: formator for aspirants (1987-1988); in Guatemala in charge of formation of Claretian philosophy students (1988-1989); student at the pontifical college at Salamanca: Licentiate in Theology of the Consecrated Life (1989-1991); formator for theology students (1992-1995); since 1996 director of Director of the Claretian Centre of Formation for Seminarians and docent di Spirituality and Introduction to the Bible in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Vicariate apostolic of Darien, established in 1925 and entrusted to Claretian missionaries, coincides with the territory of the civil region of Darien. It has an area of 16,780 sq km, a population of 60,000 of whom 48,000 are Catholics, looked after by 9 priests (1 diocesan, 8 religious), 19 women religious. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 14/2/2005; Righe 16; Parole 208)
