THE Roman Catholic Church has announced the death of Bishop Emeritus (Retired) of Gokwe Diocese, Angel Floro Martinez.
He was 83. President of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop’s Conference (ZCBC), Bishop Paul Horan, made the announcement. He said funeral arrangements would be announced in due course. “To all Priests, Brothers, Sisters and Lay Faithful.
The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) wishes to announce the passing on of Bishop Emeritus of Gokwe on Tuesday, 14 March 2023,” said Bishop Horan in a statement. “ZCBC and the entire Catholic Church in Zimbabwe are very much saddened by Bishop Floro’s sudden death.
Bishop Floro was the Bishop of Gokwe from 2000 until 2017 when he retired from active ministry. “We pray that Bishop Floro’s soul finds repose in the bosom of God the Father whom he loved and served as pastor and shepherd.”
Bishop Martinez was born on February 14, 1940 in Spain. He was ordained a Priest on June 28 ,1965 in the congregation of the Instituto Español de San Francisco Javier para Misiones Extranjeras.
He was appointed Bishop of Gokwe by Pope John Paul II on October 15, 1999 and was ordained on February 19, 2000. Bishop Martinez retired on January 28, 2017 and was succeeded by Bishop Rudolf Nyandoro, who is now the Bishop of Gweru Diocese.
With the death of Bishop Floro, the Catholic Church has lost an unrivalled receptacle of pastoral knowledge, intellectualism and lived experience, the church said. — New Ziana