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| Celestino Aós Braco | |
|---|---|
| Name | Celestino Aós Braco |
| Birth date | 1933-03-17 |
| Birth place | Sosa, Spain |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Roman Catholic prelate |
| Religious order | Order of Preachers (Dominicans) |
| Ordination | 1958 |
| Episcopal consecration | 2019 |
| Predecessor | Ricardo Ezzati Andrello |
| Successor | (retired 2023) |
Celestino Aós Braco is a Spanish Dominican friar and Roman Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Santiago de Chile and Apostolic Administrator following a turbulent period for the Chilean Catholic Church. Born in Sosa, Spain, he joined the Order of Preachers and spent decades in pastoral and academic work before being named by Pope Francis to oversee the archdiocese during investigations into clerical sexual abuse and institutional crises. His tenure intersected with prominent figures and institutions in Chilean public life, including meetings with civil authorities and involvement in national reconciliation efforts.
Born in 1933 in the town of Sosa in the Province of Burgos within the autonomous community of Castile and León, he was raised in a milieu shaped by the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War and the era of Francisco Franco. He pursued ecclesiastical studies in seminaries influenced by clerical traditions linked to the Spanish Episcopal Conference and the pastoral currents of mid-20th century Rome. His academic formation included philosophy and theology with exposure to Dominican scholastic traditions associated with figures like Thomas Aquinas and institutions such as the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas and the University of Salamanca.
Entering the Order of Preachers he underwent novitiate and took solemn vows according to the constitutions of the Dominican Order. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1958 and engaged in Dominican ministries that combined preaching, teaching, and parish work, connecting with Dominican provinces in Spain, contacts with the General Chapter of the Order, and networks spanning the Mediterranean and Latin America. His formation reflected Dominican emphases on study, contemplative prayer, and apostolic preaching aligned with traditions traceable to Saint Dominic and later reform movements within the order. He served in roles that brought him into contact with ecclesial institutions such as convents, priories, and studia run by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and other Vatican dicasteries.
Reassigned to Chile, he became involved with the provincial structures of the Dominican presence in Santiago de Chile and pastoral activity in dioceses affected by the complex legacy of the Pinochet dictatorship and the transition to democracy overseen by presidents like Patricio Aylwin and Ricardo Lagos. In 2019, during a period when the Archdiocese of Santiago faced scrutiny over clerical sexual abuse cases linked to previous archbishops and cardinals, Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Administrator and later Archbishop, following the resignation of Ricardo Ezzati Andrello. His episcopal ministry required interaction with Vatican officials, including the Congregation for Bishops, and coordination with Chilean episcopal structures represented in the Chilean Episcopal Conference.
As archbishop and apostolic administrator he prioritized transparency in handling allegations connected to clerical abuse cases that involved diocesan clergy, religious orders, and lay collaborators, seeking cooperation with prosecutors in institutions such as the Public Ministry of Chile and the National Service of Minors (SENAME) when relevant. He promoted pastoral outreach to survivors, engaged in liturgical and catechetical renewal consonant with directives from Vatican II implementations promoted by Pope Francis, and supported programs in social pastoral care that intersected with agencies like Caritas Internationalis and local Caritas Chile. His initiatives included strengthening seminary formation influenced by prior controversies implicating formation houses and calling for collaboration with civil society organizations, human rights groups, and university centers such as the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
His tenure was marked by controversies surrounding handling of abuse allegations, administrative decisions tied to property and financial affairs previously managed under the predecessor, and public statements on social and political questions in Chile, including the national debate over the 2019–2020 social crisis and the 2020–2022 constitutional process led by institutions like the National Congress of Chile. He navigated relations with prominent Chilean public figures and institutions, addressing criticism from survivors' advocacy groups, media outlets like El Mercurio and La Tercera, and scrutiny from prosecutors and judges within the Judicial Branch of Chile. Statements about ecclesial reform, episcopal accountability, and sacramental pastoral care generated reactions from fellow bishops within the Chilean Episcopal Conference and from international observers attentive to Church governance reforms prompted by the McCarrick scandal and global inquiries led by the Holy See.
He submitted his resignation in accord with canonical norms and retired amid ongoing structural reforms in the Chilean church, leaving a mixed legacy of pastoral outreach, institutional stabilization efforts, and contested judgments over past abuses. His episcopacy is situated within broader trajectories involving Pope Francis's intervention in Chile, the emergence of new norms from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Congregation for Bishops, and continuing public and juridical processes in Chilean society. Historians and ecclesial commentators will assess his role alongside figures such as Bernardo Ossa and successors in debates over accountability, institutional reform, and reconciliation between the Church and Chilean civil institutions.
Category:Roman Catholic archbishops Category:Dominican friars Category:Spanish Roman Catholic bishops