Pope Francis named Bishop Rui Manuel Sousa Valério on August 10 as the new patriarch of Lisbon, the Vatican News reported.
The appointment of Valerio came four days following the conclusion of World Youth Day and after Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Manuel José Macario do Nascimento Clemente, former Lisbon patriarch.
Clemente, 75, has been in poor health and has been wishing to retire.
Valerio (58) was born in 1964 in Ourém, a municipality in Portugal. He has been the bishop of the Military Ordinate of Portugal for the past five years.
He studied for the priesthood at the Pontifical Lateran and the Pontifical Gregorian in Rome.
In 1991, he was ordained a priest. As a priest, he served in Portugal, the Patriarchate of Lisbon, and Rome.
In 2018, Pope Francis appointed him a military ordinary, or bishop of the Armed Forces of Portugal.
Speculators have expected Lisbon Auxiliary Bishop Américo Aguiar to succeed Clemente as patriarch of Lisbon since the Pope announced in July that he would name Aguiar cardinal on September 30.
Aguiar was the chief organizer of the recently concluded World Youth Day.
The appointment of Valério, however, dispelled the rumors.
Now, new speculation that the Pope would bring Aguiar to the Vatican has started to mount.
Valério, a Montfort Missionary, would assume the patriarchal role on September 2.- Oliver Samson
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