The former bishop of Mar del Plata, Gabriel Mestre, ceased to be the archbishop of La Plata after the request for resignation made personally to the Holy See by Pope Francis.
“Days ago, the Holy See summoned me to Rome to discuss some aspects of the Diocese of Mar del Plata after my transfer to the Archdiocese of La Plata upon being appointed metropolitan archbishop by Pope Francis. In the Eternal City, after confronting some different perceptions with what happened in the Diocese of Mar del Plata from November 2023 to the present, Pope Francis asked me to resign from the La Plata see. With profound peace and total rectitude of conscience before God for how I acted, trusting that the Truth makes us free (cf. Jn 8:32), and with filial and theological obedience to the Holy Father, I immediately wrote my resignation, which was accepted and made public today,” says Mestre in a letter published this morning.
Already addressing the La Plata community, Mestre highlights that “Today I stop being your pastor. I want to tell you that I have been very happy these eight and a half months and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have enjoyed every encounter with lay people of all ages, with consecrated men and women, with seminarians, deacons, priests and auxiliary bishops. Thanks for making me feel at home! Thank you for the gestures of delicacy and kindness on each of the visits! Thank you for inviting me to be part of your lives! I was truly able to experience the diversity and depth of faith in God of many of you, a committed faith that edified and enriched me more than once. It pains me to leave, it pains me to leave you as pastor of this Particular Church that is a pilgrim in La Plata, but I am sure that God has much better plans that I cannot finish deciphering today. I trust in the Lord because Christ is our peace (Eph 2:14)! I will always carry you in my heart, I will pray for you and I entrust you to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the intercession of Blessed Ludovica and Blessed Eduardo Pironio, so that you can prepare this new stage while waiting for the new shepherd that the Lord will give you through the dear Pope Francis. “I embrace you strongly in Jesus the Good Shepherd, with the affection and affection as always.”
The Vatican press office does not give details about the reasons for his resignation from the post less than a year after he was appointed.
Gabriel Antonio Mestre was born on September 15, 1968 in Mar del Plata. Ordained priest in 1997. In 2017 he was appointed bishop of Mar del Plata, a diocese that has experienced several resignations in recent months – first that of Monsignor José María Baliña, appointed to head the bishopric, and then that of his successor in office, Monsignor Gustavo Larrázabal, in addition to the surprising transfer of Father Luis Albóniga to the Diocese of Jujuy,-, and whose situation could be key to understanding the decision taken this Monday by the Holy See.
On July 28, 2023, Pope Francis appointed him archbishop of La Plata. He took canonical possession on September 16 of the same year, during a ceremony in the Cathedral of La Plata. In the Argentine Episcopal Conference, he was president of the Commission for Catechesis and Biblical Pastoral since 2021, of which he has been a member since 2017.
According to the legal system of Canon Law, bishops present their resignation to the Pontiff when they turn 75 years old, twenty more than Mestre is now.
