Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat |
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Co-Prince of Andorra | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 31 May 2025 – present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Joan Enric Vives i Sicília | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Co-Prince | Emmanuel Macron | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat (born 19 March 1977) is an important Spanish leader in the Catholic Church. Since 2025, he has been the Bishop of Urgell and, because of that role, he is also one of the two ex officio Co-Princes of Andorra. Before taking on these roles, Serrano worked for the Holy See (the central government of the Catholic Church) in diplomatic service from 2012 to 2024.
Contents
Understanding Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat's Life
This section explores the journey of Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat, from his early education to his current significant roles.
Early Life and Education
Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat was born on 19 March 1977, in Tivissa, a town in Spain. He is very good at languages, speaking Spanish, Catalan, French, English, Italian, and Portuguese fluently.
When he was 14, he began his religious studies at a minor seminary in Tortosa. He continued his studies at the major seminary in 1995. He attended the Faculty of Theology of Catalonia in Barcelona, where he earned a Bachelor of Theology degree in 2001.
In 2001, Serrano became a deacon and served in a church in Amposta for a year. On 21 April 2002, he was ordained as a priest by Bishop Xavier Salinas i Vinyals at the Tortosa Cathedral.
Further Studies and Parish Work
From 2002 to 2005, Serrano served as a priest in three small rural parishes: la Palma d'Ebre, la Bisbal de Montsant, and Margalef. He then continued his advanced studies in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University from 2005 to 2007, earning a licentiate degree.
After returning to Tortosa, he became the priest for the Sant Andreu and Sant Pere parishes in Vandellòs i l'Hospitalet de l'Infant. He also taught at the Tortosa Major Seminary from 2007 to 2009.
From 2009 to 2012, Serrano studied in Rome at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, which trains diplomats for the Holy See. During this time, he also earned a licentiate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University in 2011 and a doctorate in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 2012. His doctoral work was titled Palabra Sacramento y Carisma: La eclesiologia de E. Corecco.
Career in Diplomacy and Leadership
Serrano's career has included important diplomatic roles and, more recently, a significant leadership position in the Church and in Andorra.
Diplomatic Service for the Holy See
Serrano served as a secretary in several Apostolic Nunciatures (which are like embassies of the Holy See) around the world:
- Mozambique Nunciature from 2012 to 2016
- Nunciature in Nicaragua from 2016 to 2017
- Nunciature in Brazil from 2017 to 2019
In 2019, he became a counselor in the Secretariat of State, which is a key department in the Holy See. By 2024, he was serving as the personal secretary to Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, a very senior official.
Becoming Bishop of Urgell and Co-Prince of Andorra
On 12 July 2024, Pope Francis appointed Serrano as the coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Urgell. A coadjutor bishop is appointed to assist the current bishop and is expected to take over the role when the current bishop retires or steps down. At 47 years old, Serrano became the youngest bishop in Catalonia and Spain at that time.
He received his episcopal consecration (a special ceremony making him a bishop) on 21 September 2024, from Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra.
On 31 May 2025, Serrano officially became the Bishop of Urgell. This happened after Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of the previous bishop, Joan Enric Vives i Sicília. Because the Bishop of Urgell automatically holds the title, Serrano also became one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra on the same day. This appointment ended some discussions about whether Andorra might get its own separate diocese or if the bishop's role as co-prince might change.
See also
In Spanish: Josep-Lluís Serrano Pentinat para niños
