Due to complications derived from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, he was hospitalized and intubated since January 8 at a hospital in Mexico City.
This Monday night, at 84 years of age and a victim of Covid-19, Monsignor Onesimo Cepeda Silva Bishop Emeritus of Ecatepec, lost his life.
“The Diocese of Ecatepec together with its pastor Mons. Roberto Domínguez communicates with great regret the sensitive death of Mons. Onesimo Cepeda Silva (+) Bishop Emeritus of our beloved Church of Ecatepec”, was the message from the Diocese of Ecatepec through his account from Twitter.
Due to complications derived from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, he was hospitalized and intubated since January 8 in a hospital in Mexico City; However, according to a statement issued by the Diocese of Ecatepec, he died at 10:20 p.m. on Monday.
“We thank God for the episcopal ministry of Monsignor Cepeda, which he exercised for more than 16 years, since the foundation of our beloved Diocese, announcing the Gospel with joy, transmitting God’s grace with strength and serving his people with love”, part of the statement.
Trajectory
Onesimo Cepeda was born in Mexico City on March 25, 1937, he was appointed by Pope John Paul II in 1995 as the First Bishop of the Diocese of Ecatepec. On March 25, 2012, after turning 75 years old and whose retirement was mandatory, he presented his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI, which was accepted on May 7.
Onesimo Cepeda studied at the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) from 1956 to 1960, later Philosophy at the seminary of the Missionaries of Guadalupe from 1961 to 1964, and Theology at the University of Freiburg in Germany from 1966 to 1970.
In 1964, together with Carlos Slim Helú, he co-founded the Casa de Bolsa Inversora Bursátil SA de CV, which later became Grupo Financiero Inbursa.
Cepeda also worked with Roberto Hernández Ramírez, president of Grupo Financiero Banamex, and later CEO of Banamex Citigroup; Associated Civil Engineers (ICA) and in Televisa, as well as other companies.
On October 28, 1970, Cepeda Silva was ordained a priest in Cuernavaca, where he held various positions. In 1989 he was the founder and rector of the Conciliar Seminary of San José in Cuernavaca and professor of theology.
In 1995 he was ordained Bishop of the newly formed Diocese of Ecatepec by Pope John Paul II, where he served for 17 years.
It should be noted that during his almost 15 years at the head of the Diocese of Ecatepec he was harshly recriminated by a fraction of the Catholic faithful who claimed that he only served the rich and the political class.
The Diocese of Ecatepec was created on June 28, 1995, and is made up of 14 deaneries on which more than 70 churches depend. In March 1999, after a year of work, the “Sacred Heart of Jesus” cathedral was completed in downtown Ecatepec, by Cepeda Silva, considered the last cathedral of the century.
Onesimo Cepeda received episcopal ordination on August 12, 1995 from Archbishop Girolamo Prigione, Apostolic Nuncio in Mexico; The witnesses were Manuel Pérez-Gil y González, Archbishop of Tlalnepantla, and Luis Reynoso Cervantes, Bishop of Cuernavaca. He was President of the Episcopal Commission for Social Communications and Legal Advisor of the CEM from 1997 to 2000.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
