Pope Leo XIV has accepted the retirement of Auxiliary Bishop Alejandro Aclan of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, one of six Filipino bishops serving in the United States.
The Vatican announced the decision May 22 at 12 noon (6 p.m. in the Philippines). In Washington, the news was released by Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
Aclan submitted his resignation to the pope after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75 on Feb. 9. Under canon law, bishops are “requested to offer” their resignations upon reaching that age.
Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez thanked Aclan for his years of service, asking the faithful “to pray for him as he begins this new chapter.”
“For years, Bishop Alex has faithfully served the people of Los Angeles with humility, compassion, and devotion to Christ and His Church,” Gomez said.
Born and raised in Manila, Aclan emigrated with his family to California in 1982. He later entered seminary formation and was ordained a priest of the Los Angeles Archdiocese in 1993.
Pope Francis appointed him auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles in March 2019.
At the time, he became only the second Filipino bishop serving in the United States, following Bishop Oscar Solis, who was an auxiliary in Los Angeles from 2004 to 2017 before becoming bishop of Salt Lake City.
Aclan was ordained bishop on May 16, 2019, and served as episcopal vicar for the archdiocese’s San Fernando Pastoral Region.
In 2022, he suffered a stroke that required hospitalization and “extensive recovery,” according to Angelus, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
