Pope Leo XIV has appointed two priests with different areas of expertise to serve as auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of Madrid, Spain, bringing experience in diocesan administration, priestly formation, theology and Church history to the archdiocese’s episcopal leadership.
The Vatican Press Office announced the appointments on October 16, naming Fernando Murga Gómez, moderator of the archdiocesan Curia, and Andrés Martínez Esteban, vicar general of the Ordinariate for Eastern Catholic faithful resident in Spain.
Murga Gómez has been assigned the titular see of Tasbalta, while Martínez Esteban will hold the titular see of Temuniana.
Born in Bilbao on May 25, 1965, Murga Gómez initially trained and worked as an architect before pursuing priestly formation. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in theology from the Universidad Eclesiástica San Dámaso in Madrid.
Ordained for the Archdiocese of Madrid on May 7, 2011, he began his ministry in parish pastoral work, serving at Nuestra Señora de la Soledad from 2011 to 2014 before becoming parish priest of San León Magno, a position he held until 2015.
He subsequently took on responsibilities in priestly formation and seminary administration, serving as a formator and administrator at Madrid’s Conciliar Seminary from 2015. In 2025, he became moderator of the archdiocesan Curia.
His experience also includes involvement with the Movimiento de Cursillos de Cristiandad. In 2026, he served as technical coordinator for the Madrid phase of Pope Leo XIV’s Apostolic Journey to Spain.
Martínez Esteban, born in Madrid on December 17, 1971, brings an academic background in theology and Church history to his new ministry.
He holds a doctorate in theology from the Universidad Eclesiástica San Dámaso in Madrid and another in Church history from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He also obtained a diploma in library science from the Vatican School of Palaeography and Archival Science.
Ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Madrid on May 17, 1997, he has served in several parishes, including San Juan Evangelista, Nuestra Señora de Delicias, Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Nuestra Señora de la Moraleja, Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, and San Cristóbal y San Rafael.
Alongside his parish ministry, he directed the diocesan archive of Madrid from 2004 to 2024 and has taught in the Faculty of Theology at the Universidad Eclesiástica San Dámaso since 2007. He also served as spiritual director at the Conciliar Military Seminary from 2012 to 2015.
Since 2024, Martínez Esteban has been vicar general of the Ordinariate for Eastern Catholic faithful resident in Spain. He joined the Episcopal Council of the Archdiocese of Madrid in 2025.
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