Who was Archbishop Richard Alarcón Urrutia of Cusco, who was awaiting the Pope

Archbishop Richard Daniel Alarcón Urrutia of Cusco died on Friday, Oct. 30, at the age of 74, two weeks before Pope Leo XIV's visit to the city, scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 15. The Archdiocese of Cusco announced his death. Coadjutor Archbishop Lizardo Estrada Herrera, OSA, succeeds him at the head of the archdiocese. Here is his life, drawn from the official biographies.

From Lima to the Franciscans. Born in Lima on April 10, 1952, he attended primary school at the Escuela Fiscal in La Victoria and secondary school at the G.U.E. Melitón Carbajal in Lince, according to the archdiocese. In 1969 he joined the Order of Friars Minor, studying philosophy in Cusco at the Franciscan house of La Recoleta and theology in Lima at the Pontifical and Civil Faculty of Theology. He made his solemn profession on May 15, 1976, and was ordained a priest on Dec. 8, 1976, in Lima.

Priest and formator. According to the Holy See Press Office bulletin, he served as pastor of San Francisco and bursar of the Franciscan friary in Cusco, master of postulants at the friary of San José Obrero in Arequipa, guardian and master of postulants at the friary of Santa Bárbara in Juliaca (1979-1981, according to the archdiocese) and vice-master of the formation house at the friary of San Francisco in Lima.

The Tarma years. He moved to the Diocese of Tarma, in the central Andes, as a missionary priest, serving as pastor of San Cristóbal in Palcamayo (1983-1989) and diocesan administrator (1990-1992). On April 20, 1993, he left the Order and was incardinated in the diocesan clergy of Tarma, where he was vicar general from 1993 to 2001; he was also pastor of the Cathedral of Santa Ana (1993-1996) and of San Miguel Arcángel in Ulcumayo (1996-2001). He was appointed Bishop of Tarma on June 13, 2001, and received episcopal ordination on July 21 of that year.

Caritas and the bishops' conference. In 2012 he was elected president of Caritas Peru, and he served on the Permanent Council of the Peruvian Bishops' Conference. In 2018 he was elected president of the Bishops' Commission for the Liturgy, a post renewed for 2022-2025.

Archbishop of Cusco. Pope Francis appointed him Metropolitan Archbishop of Cusco, transferring him from Tarma; the appointment was published in the Oct. 28, 2014, bulletin. He took possession of the archdiocese on Jan. 3, 2015. According to the Andina news agency, despite his illness he had led coordination with the authorities to welcome Leo XIV.

Sources: Holy See Press Office bulletin, Oct. 28, 2014 · Archdiocese of Cusco · Peruvian Bishops' Conference · Andina · EWTN News
Photo: Arzobispado del Cusco (via EWTN News).

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