Harare (New Ziana) –The Roman Catholic Church on Tuesday 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 (I.E.M.E) 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 find repose in the bosom of God the Father whom he loved and served as pastor and shepherd.”
Bishop Martinez was born on 24 Feb 1940 in Spain. He was ordained a Priest on the 28th of June 1965 in the congregation of the Instituto Español de San Francisco Javier para Misiones Extranjeras (I.E.M.E.).
He was appointed Bishop of Gokwe by Pope John Paul II on the 15th of October 1999 and was ordained on the 19th of February 2000.
Bishop Martinez retired on the 28 of January 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.
New Ziana
