Pope Francis Appoints Spanish Franciscan as New Archbishop of Tangier, Morocco

The Archdiocese of Tangier has a new leader: Emilio Rocha Grande. The Spanish Franciscan was appointed on Tuesday by Pope Francis, replacing Santiago Agrelo, also a Franciscan, who had been appointed as apostolic administrator of the Moroccan diocese on February 25, 2022.

The Archdiocese of Tangier now includes the Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima region and the province of Nador, reports Vida Nueva Digital. According to the Pontifical Yearbook for the year 2020, it has seven parishes led by 12 Franciscan priests and animated by more than 80 foreign religious (63 women and 17 men). In this region of nearly 5 million inhabitants, only 3,000 practice the Catholic religion, it is indicated.

Born on May 8, 1958 in Madrid, Spain, Emilio Rocha Grande was ordained a priest on February 16, 1991 at the San Juan de los Reyes church (Toledo). Holder of a degree in theology and another in ecclesiastical studies, the new Archbishop of Tangier speaks Spanish, Italian and understands French.