Filipino bishop appointed new archbishop of Guam

Pope Francis appointed Filipino Bishop Ryan Jimenez of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa as the new archbishop of the Archdiocese of Hagåtña in Guam, succeeding Archbishop Michael Byrnes who resigned in March 2023 due to health reasons.

Jimenez, born in Dumaguete City and raised in Siquijor, will be installed on August 15 at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagåtña.

Filipino priest Fr. Romeo Convocar has been serving as the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Hagåtña since Byrnes' resignation.

Jimenez, who previously worked as a teacher in the Northern Mariana Islands after arriving as a migrant worker, expressed his eagerness for his new mission.

He currently holds leadership positions in the Conferentia Episcopalis Pacifici (CEPAC) and the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania (FCBCO), and consults for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).