José María Gil Tamayo

José María Gil Tamayo (born 5 June 1957) is a Spanish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has been serving as archbishop of Granada since his installation on 1 February 2023. He previously served as coadjutor archbishop of that archdiocese and as bishop of Ávila.


José María Gil Tamayo
Metropolitan Archbishop of Granada
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
ArchdioceseGranada
ProvinceGranada
Appointed1 February 2023
Installed1 February 2023
PredecessorFrancisco Javier Martínez Fernández [es]
Orders
Ordination7 September 1980
Consecration15 December 2018
by Ricardo Blázquez
Personal details
Born
José María Gil Tamayo

(1957-06-05) 5 June 1957 (age 66)
NationalitySpanish
DenominationRoman Catholic
ResidenceGranada, Spain
OccupationArchbishop, Clergyman
Previous post(s)Bishop of Avila(2018-2022)
Coadjutor Archbishop of Granada(2022-2023)
Alma materUniversity of Navarre
MottoNon ministrari sed ministrare
SignatureJosé María Gil Tamayo's signature
Coat of armsJosé María Gil Tamayo's coat of arms

Gil became a priest in 1980 and was named bishop in 2018; after his ordination, he did pastoral work in rural villages and delivered lectures in Latin America and the Caribbean. He had many technological-related roles due to his degree in information science.

Early life edit

José María Gil Tamayo was born on 5 June 1957 in the municipality of Zalamea de la Serena, Badajoz, Extremadura.[1] He studied at the seminary of the Archdiocese of Mérida–Badajoz. He earned a licenciate degree in ecclesiology and information science from the University of Navarra.[1][2][3]

Priesthood edit

Gil's sacerdotal ordination was on 7 September 1980; he was incardinated in the Archdiocese of Mérida–Badajoz by Antonio Montero Moreno.[2][4]

For nine years, he dedicated himself to pastoral work in rural villages, serving as a parish priest, vicar, and religion teacher. In one of these villages, he initiated collaboration with local radio stations to share religious teachings for those who couldn't attend mass.[2][3][5]

He started his ministry as a clergyman within the Archdiocese of Mérida–Badajoz. In 1992, he assumed the role of directing Medios de Comunicación y de la Oficina de Información for his diocese. He held the position of canon of the same diocese. Gil has been a professor in communication technologies at Pontifical University of Salamanca.[1][3][5]

Internationally, he has delivered lectures in El Salvador, Puerto Rico and Cuba. From 2001 to 2011, he was member of the Comité Episcopal Europeo de Medios de Comunicación. He collaborated to the Red Informática de la Iglesia en América Latina and provided pastoral communication services to the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador and Chile. In 2006, he became member for the Comité internacional preparatorio del Congreso Mundial de TV Católicas and also took charge of the event's press direction.[1][3][5]

Gil was the spokesperson of the Spanish language in the XIII Synod of Bishops in the Catholic Church in 2018. Furthermore, he was the deputy of the Spanish language of the Holy See during the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI (February-March 2013). In the Roman Curia, Gil was the consultant of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications from 2006 to 2016.[1][3][5]

During 13 years (1998-2011), the archbishop of Granada was the director of the Director of the Media Commission Secretariat of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. He has also directed the Information Service of the Catholic Church in Spain. He has been secretary general of the Spanish Episcopal Conference from 2013-2018.[1][3][5]

Bishophood edit

Bishop edit

On 6 of November 2018 he was named as bishop of the Diocese of Ávila, replacing Jesús García Burillo [es]. He received his consecration on 15 December 2018 by Ricardo Blázquez on the Ávila Cathedral.[1][6]

As a bishop, Gil is president of the foundation Las Edades del Hombre and the Gran Canciller [es] of the Catholic University of Ávila. He has served as a member of the Comisión Episcopal de Medios de Comunicación Social within the Spanish Episcopal Conference from 2019 to 2020. Additionally, he has been a member of the Comisión Ejecutiva since 2020. Moreover, as of 2022, he holds the position of president of the Consejo de Estudios y Proyectos.[1][7]

In 2021, the bishop pledged for the area of Navalacruz to be declared a "catastrophic zone" by the government of Spain following a fire in the region.[8] During the Covid-19 pandemic, Tamayo claimed that the government was being discriminatory by not providing funding to charter schools.[9] Tamayo was hospitalized in May 2020 for having Covid-19.[10]

Like other bishops, Gil had to select a motto and a ecclesiastical coat of arms. His chosen motto, "Non ministrari sed ministrare", is meant to reflect the words of Jesus to his disciples, signifying that he was named to serve, not to be served.[6][11]

Archbishop edit

On 16 July 2022 he was named coadjutor archbishop of Archdiocese of Granada. The title of coadjutor, rarely employed in the Spanish clergy, was utilized to ensure a "peaceful transition" of responsibilities.[12][13] On 1 February 2023, after the resignation of Francisco Javier Martínez Fernández [es], he was named by Pope Francis as archbishop of Granada.[1][2] The Holy See tasked Gil to provide and internal audit on the economic situation of the bishopric, as well as a revitalization of the clergy of Granada.[13] In August 2023, Tamayo honored the first Archbishop of Mérida-Granada, Antonio Montero, by homogenizing with a statue of him.[14] In 2024, Tamayo hosted a Chrism Mass for the persecuted clergy of Nicaragua, where he announced that the Archdiocese of Granada would welcome Nicaraguan clergy in need.[15]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "José María Gil Tamayo - Conferencia Episcopal Española" (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "Quién es José María Gil Tamayo, arzobispo de Granada". Religión Digital (in European Spanish). 5 June 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Ávilared (16 July 2022). "Gil Tamayo es nombrado arzobispo coadjutor de Granada". Ávilared | Noticias de Ávila (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  4. ^ Pallarés, Paqui (7 September 2023). "43 años de ministerio sacerdotal de nuestro arzobispo Mons. Gil Tamayo - Archidiócesis de Granada" (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e "España; el nuevo obispo de Ávila es el secretario de la Conferencia Episcopal Gil Tamayo". La Stampa (in Italian). 6 November 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  6. ^ a b Velasco, Paula (6 November 2018). "José María Gil Tamayo, obispo electo de Ávila". El Norte de Castilla (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  7. ^ Caballero, Ana Belén (16 July 2022). "Mons. Gil Tamayo, nombrado Arzobispo coadjutor de Granada". Arzobispado de Mérida-Badajoz (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  8. ^ Beltrán, José (19 August 2021). "Gil Tamayo suplica que Ávila se declare zona catastrófica tras el incendio: "No podemos salir adelante"". Vida Nueva - Revista y portal de noticias religiosas y de Iglesia (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  9. ^ Magariños, Elena (2 July 2020). "El obispo de Ávila considera discriminatorio que los colegios concertados no reciban ayudas del Gobierno por el Covid-19". Vida Nueva - Revista y portal de noticias religiosas y de Iglesia (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  10. ^ Hernandez, Sonsoles (23 May 2020). "José María Gil Tamayo: "Luché contra el virus, pero yo no tenía la última palabra"". Vida Nueva - Revista y portal de noticias religiosas y de Iglesia (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Mons. José María Gil Tamayo, miembro de la Comisión Ejecutiva: "Sacerdote católico y periodista"". COPE (in Spanish). 3 March 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  12. ^ Hernandez, Sonsoles (23 July 2022). "Gil Tamayo, un arzobispo coadjutor para 'reconstruir' Granada". Vida Nueva - Revista y portal de noticias religiosas y de Iglesia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  13. ^ a b Beltrán, José (1 October 2022). "Gil Tamayo aterriza en Granada: "Vengo a serviros. No soy ningún líder, ideólogo o superhombre"". Vida Nueva - Revista y portal de noticias religiosas y de Iglesia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  14. ^ Alonso, Mateo González (31 August 2023). "Antonio Montero se queda para siempre en Churriana de la Vega". Vida Nueva - Revista y portal de noticias religiosas y de Iglesia (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  15. ^ Alonso, Mateo González (28 March 2024). "Granada acogerá a dos sacerdotes exiliados de Nicaragua". Vida Nueva - Revista y portal de noticias religiosas y de Iglesia (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 April 2024.

External links edit