H.E. Monsignor Ruben TIERRABLANCA GONZALEZ OFM
S.E. Mons. Rubén TIERRABLANCA GONZALEZ, OFM, was born in Cortazar, in the Diocese of Celaya (Mexico), on August 24, 1952, to Julio TIERRABLANCA and Maria GONZALEZ.
After attending the Franciscan Pío Mariano Seminary for secondary education in his native land, he entered the novitiate on August 22, 1970.
He studied at the College Santa Cruz in Queretaro (Mexico) and at the Saint Anthony Seminary in El Paso, TX (USA) for philosophy and theology. Subsequently, in Italy, he attended the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.
He made his religious profession in the Order of Friars Minor on 2 August 1977, and received priestly ordination on 29 June 1978 in his hometown of Cortazar.
S.E. Mons. Rubén TIERRABLANCA GONZALEZ, OFM, ordained as Guardian (Superior) of the Friars Minor of Istanbul and of the International Fraternity for Ecumenical and Inter-religious Dialogue in Turkey, and parish priest of the Parish of Santa Maria Draperís in Istanbul in 2003. He commissioned as Vicar Apostolic of the Apostolic Vicariate of Istanbul in 2014; he was serving as the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Turkey since 2018.
Monsignor Ruben hospitalized due to the Covid-19 disease. He passed away last night 22.12.2020 at 11.42 pm due to multi-organ failure due to Covid-19.