Guatemalans Elect Guerra
Episcopal News Service. September 24, 1981 [81248]
GUATEMALA CITY -- The Rev. Armando Roman Guerra, vicar of the churches of St. John the Baptist and St. Luke, was elected Episcopal Bishop of Guatemala at a special diocesan convention September 19 at St. James' Cathedral here.
Guerra obtained the majority of the clerical and lay votes on the 11th ballot. He and the Rev. Arturo Fernandez had been the only contenders since the 9th ballot.
Guerra, at age 32, will become the youngest bishop in the Episcopal Church. He was born in San Cristobal, department of Gualan on Oct. 8, 1949. His family moved to the capital city when he was a child.
Guerra holds a bachelor of arts degree with major in accounting and in 1973 graduated from the Episcopal Theological School, a diocesan institution which operated for four years in the early 70's for the purpose of training local priests.
He was ordained deacon and priest in 1974 by the Rt. Rev. Anselmo Carral, present Bishop of Guatemala.
Carral has resigned his see in order to direct an Hispanic Center based in Austin, Tex. for the dioceses of Province VII. He has been Bishop of Guatemala since 1973.
Guerra also studied for a year at the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest in Austin and has been a member of the Christian Education Task Force for Province IX. He is also member of the Provincial Council and serves as its secretary.
The bishop-elect married Norma Elizabeth Guerrero in 1972. The couple has two children, Norma 8 and Edgar 6.
The diocese of Guatemala was established in 1968 when the then Missionary District of Central America was divided into five dioceses, contiguous with the five countries of the area. Guatemala's first bishop was the Rt. Rev. William C. Frey, who in 1971 was "invited to leave" the country when he signed an ecumenical declaration calling for the cessation of violence and the establishment of peace. Frey is now Bishop of Colorado.
The Diocese of Guatemala has 2,814 baptized members grouped in 20 parishes and missions served by 10 priests and a bishop.
The date of Guerra's consecration will be set once the majority of the canonical consents of the bishops of the Church and the diocesan standing committees are received.