DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Father Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez as the sixth Bishop of Palm Beach, succeeding Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito who has led the diocese since 2003 and submitted his resignation upon reaching the 75 year old cut off age early in 2025. Rodriguez was born in Moca, Dominican Republic.

When commenting on the appointment, Rodriguez said he first wondered out loud if it was an AI prank. CBS News New York describes his new district of assignment as “ritzy.” CBS reported he would spend Christmas in Queens, New York and then head to Florida at the start of the new year.

The National Catholic Reporter explains that Rodríguez was ordained to the priesthood on 3 July 2004, in Santo Domingo, and became affiliated with the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York on 29 June 2012. He is a canon lawyer with extensive experience in penal canon law and pastoral...