Pope Leo XIV appoints 2 auxiliary bishops of Madrid

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Fernando Murga Gómez and Andrés Martínez Esteban as auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Madrid. The appointments, announced by the Holy See on October 16, 2026, bring the total number of auxiliary bishops in the archdiocese to four, joining Juan Antonio Martínez Camino and Vicente Martín.

Fernando Murga Gómez, who has served as the moderator of the Madrid diocesan curia since 2025, will hold the titular see of Tasbalta. A former architect, Murga Gómez was ordained a priest for Madrid in 2011 and has served as a parish priest and an administrator for the diocesan seminary.

Andrés Martínez Esteban, who will hold the titular see of Temuniana, has served as the vicar general for the Ordinariate for Catholics of the Oriental Rite in Spain-Madrid. Ordained a priest for the archdiocese in 1997, Martínez Esteban holds doctorates in theology and Church history. His previous roles include directing the Madrid diocesan archive and coordinating ongoing formation for clergy.

Cardinal José Cobo, the archbishop of Madrid, stated that the request for these appointments had been made some time ago to support the archdiocese's extensive pastoral activity. The episcopal ordination for the two new bishops is scheduled for December 12 at the Almudena Cathedral.