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Juan Espinoza Jiménez

Bishop of Aguascalientes
Bishop
1965
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Ordained
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Consecrated Bishop
Aguascalientes
Diocese
Mexico
Country
The Life

Juan Espinoza Jiménez was born on 11 May 1965 at La Piedad, in the Archdiocese of Morelia, the third of seven children of Juan Espinoza Olivo and Ma. Antonia Jiménez Moreno. He attended primary school "J. Jesús Romero Flores," secondary school "Lic. Rafael Reyes," and preparatory school "Vasco de Quiroga," all in La Piedad, and entered the Diocesan Seminary of Morelia in September 1983, studying humanities, the introductory course, philosophy, and theology. He received diaconal ordination on 6 June 1992 (Pentecost) and priestly ordination on 31 January 1993 (feast of St John Bosco), incardinated in Morelia; neither the Holy See bulletin nor the CEM curriculum states his ordaining bishop or the place of priestly ordination. BIRTH-DAY CONFLICT, roster kept: the Holy See bulletin and Zenit give 11 May 1965, while the CEM curriculum vitae and ACI Prensa (which repeats the CEM text) give 1 May 1965. The roster's 1965-05-11 follows the Holy See bulletin; the 1 May reading is an outlier and is not merged into it.

As a priest he served from 1993 to 1996 as formator and teacher at the minor seminary, chaplain of the Hospital de Nuestra Señora de la Salud in Morelia, and council member. Sent to Rome in August 1996, he took the licentiate in education sciences at the Pontifical Salesian University (1999 in the CEM curriculum; the Holy See bulletin confirms the licentiate but gives no year), resided at the Pontifical Mexican College, and did vacation work at Lainate in the Archdiocese of Milan. In July 1999 he became spiritual director of the minor seminary and chaplain of the Vasco de Quiroga residence for the elderly; in July 2000 vice-rector of the minor seminary; and from July 2001 to July 2009 official of the Congregation for Bishops in Rome, with parish apostolate at San Gregorio Barbarigo in Rome, San Lorenzo Nuovo in Viterbo, and Rosá in Vicenza. Returning to Morelia in July 2009, he was prefect of discipline and teacher at the major seminary, secretary of the Diocesan Commission for Permanent Formation of the Clergy, and chaplain of the Passionist postulants, and in March 2010 coordinator of that commission. As auxiliary bishop he was given the Vicariate for the Clergy.

Pope Benedict XVI appointed him titular bishop of Arpi and auxiliary bishop of Morelia on 15 December 2010, and he received episcopal ordination on 22 February 2011, in his native place according to the CEM curriculum; Spanish Wikipedia names Alberto Suárez Inda as his ordaining bishop, which neither the bulletin nor the CEM curriculum states. From May 2015 to May 2019 he was secretary general of CELAM, resident in Bogotá, and rector of CEBITEPAL, and in November 2021 the CXI Plenary of the CEM elected him responsible for the Episcopal Dimension of the Clergy for the triennium 2021-2024. Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Aguascalientes on 23 December 2021, and he took possession on 15 February 2022.

In His Own Words
yo nunca he visto a nadie como enemigo
Statement of 7 October 2026 via the diocesan channel "Correo diocesano," as reported by Vida Nueva Digital, 9 October 2026, in the context of threats against him following his late-September 2026 homilies on public affairs. 8 words, counted by Mike from the opened page. TIER FLAG: this is a press report of a diocesan-channel video statement, not a transcript. Not Traditionis custodes evidence.
The Old Mass, See by See
Aguascalientes2022-02-15 – presentNo act of his own
What he inheritedNo decree, permission, restriction, celebration, or statement by him concerning the 1962 Missal was found for his Aguascalientes tenure through as_of. The 21 September 2021 Guadalajara decree is another ordinary's act, background only. An unverified third-party directory listing for the Templo de San Juan Nepomuceno (San Juanito) in Aguascalientes as a traditional-Mass venue does not name him and was not opened as evidence of any act by him. His documented public interventions in the window concern social and political questions (late-September 2026 homilies, threats and protection measures in October 2026), not liturgical regulation. Not checkable in this pass: diocesan Facebook and "Correo diocesano" video homilies and statements, unindexed chancery material and parish bulletins, and any non-indexed diocesan liturgical directory.
Since the SSPX decree of 2 July 2026: No statement recorded as of 2026-10-28.
Reviewed 2026-10-28Confidence: medium
Morelia2011-02-22 – 2021-12-23auxiliaryNo act of his own
What he inheritedNo decree, permission, restriction, celebration, or statement by him concerning the 1962 Missal was found for his Morelia auxiliary tenure. In the Traditionis custodes window he was an auxiliary, not the ordinary; any Morelia provision would have been his ordinary's act, background only, never his posture.
Since the SSPX decree of 2 July 2026: No statement recorded as of 2026-10-28.
Reviewed 2026-10-28Confidence: medium
Domus Dei’s Verdict
The Bishop & the Mass of Ages
No governing act of his own found
References & Further Reading
1.
Rinunce e nomine, 23 December 2021 — Holy See Press Office · 2021Appoints Espinoza Jiménez Bishop of Aguascalientes; summary curriculum: born 11 May 1965 at La Piedad, Archdiocese of Morelia, Major Seminary of Morelia, priest 31 January 1993 incardinated Morelia, licentiate in education sciences at the Pontifical Salesian University (no year), offices summary, appointed titular Arpi and Morelia auxiliary 15 December 2010, episcopal ordination 22 February 2011, CELAM secretary general 2015-May 2019. Governs the birth day (11 May) and the episcopal ordination date; the ordainer is not named.
2.
DESDE LA CEM: Prot. Nº20/21 Nombramiento Obispo de la Diócesis de Aguascalientes — Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano, republished by the Diocese of Querétaro · 2021Full curriculum vitae: parents, third of seven children, La Piedad schools, Diocesan Seminary of Morelia from September 1983, diaconal ordination 6 June 1992 (Pentecost), priestly ordination 31 January 1993, 1993-1996 offices, Rome August 1996, licentiate 1999, Lainate, July 1999 and July 2000 offices, July 2001-July 2009 Congregation for Bishops official with parish apostolate, July 2009 return, March 2010 coordinator, auxiliary from 15 December 2010 ordained 22 February 2011 "en su tierra natal," Vicariate for the Clergy, CEM boundaries dimension, CELAM May 2015-May 2019 and CEBITEPAL rector, June 2019 return, November 2021 CEM Clergy Dimension 2021-2024. Birth given as 1 May 1965, the conflicting reading; the bulletin governs. CEM and CELAM documents from these offices are collective and are not his works.
3.
El Faro, 10 February 2022 — Lourdes Esparza Medina · Noticen · 2022LOCAL-NEWS TIER, PROSPECTIVE: Governor Martín Orozco met the bishop-elect "previo a su llegada a la entidad el 15 de febrero"; "el Obispo Electo de la Diócesis tomará posesión el próximo martes en el Centro de Convenciones en donde se llevará a cabo una celebración eucarística." 10 February 2022 was a Thursday, so "el próximo martes" is Tuesday 15 February 2022; the venue is the Centro de Convenciones, not the cathedral. This item announces a possession; it is not a report that possession happened.
4.
Epicentro, 17 February 2022 — Carlos Gutiérrez · Noticen · 2022LOCAL-NEWS TIER, RETROSPECTIVE, SAME OUTLET: past-tense references to "la ceremonia de toma de posesión del obispo Juan Espinoza" and to a senator attending "el ceremonial de la llegada de Juan Espinoza Jiménez." Confirms a possession ceremony had taken place by 17 February 2022 but does NOT independently date it 15 February. No diocesan or Holy See corroboration of the 15 February date was found; the date is retained with this LOCAL-NEWS TIER flag and the 23 December 2021 appointment date is never substituted for it.
5.
El Papa nombra a monseñor Ezzati arzobispo de Santiago de Chile — Zenit · 2010Auxiliary appointment 15 December 2010, titular Arpi, born 11 May 1965, priest 1993, Salesian education sciences, Congregation for Bishops 2001-2009. Corroborates the Holy See side of the birth-day conflict.
6.
El Papa nombra un obispo en México y acepta renuncia de otros dos por límite de edad — Walter Sánchez Silva · ACI Prensa · 2021Appointment report 23 December 2021; repeats the CEM curriculum including the 1 May 1965 birth reading (ACI states it draws on the CEM notice, so this is not an independent source for 1 May). Also records, as background, that Robles Ortega was named apostolic administrator of Colima the same day.
7.
Juan Espinoza Jiménez — Spanish WikipediaBirth 11 May 1965 La Piedad (bulletin side); motto line "Hagamos lo que Él nos dice" (Wikipedia-only, HELD, not in bio prose); episcopal ordination "por Alberto Suárez Inda" in his native place (Wikipedia tier only for the ordainer; the bulletin and CEM give the date, the CEM adds "en su tierra natal," neither names the ordainer). REJECTED: the infobox "Desde el 23 de diciembre de 2021," which conflates the appointment date with the tenure start; the tenure from-date is the 15 February 2022 possession. The body spelling "Espinosa" is a slip, not a second man.
8.
Obispo advierte "ataque directo a la Iglesia" en Aguascalientes — Vida Nueva Digital · 2026His 7 October 2026 statement via the diocesan channel "Correo diocesano," after the influencer José Lápiz offered 40,000 pesos to whoever would attack him, following his late-September 2026 homilies on public affairs; the state Fiscalía opened a threats investigation and CEM president Ramón Castro publicly backed him on 4 October. 8-word fragment counted by Mike from the opened page; press report of a diocesan-channel video statement, not a transcript. The late-September homily quotations in other outlets were snippet-only and are not cited.
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