Armando Guerra


Armando Guerra Soria
Archbishop of Central America
Bishop of Guatemala
ChurchEpiscopal Church
Anglican Church in Central America
DioceseGuatemala
In office2010–2015
PredecessorMartín Barahona
SuccessorSturdie Downs
Other postBishop of Guatemala (1982–2018)
Orders
Ordination1974 (priesthood)
by Anselmo Carral
Consecration1982
by Lemuel B. Shirley
Personal details
Born1948 or 1949 (age 76–77)
SpouseNorma Romero

Armando Guerra Soria is a Guatemalan Anglican bishop. He was the first native Guatemalan bishop of the Diocese of Guatemala in what was then the Episcopal Church—and later became part of the Anglican Church in Central America, or IARCA—from 1982 to 2018. From 2010 to 2015 he served as primate and archbishop of IARCA.

Biography

Guerra was born in Guatemala into a poor Roman Catholic family. He qualified as a certified public accountant, married and had two children. Meanwhile, he also entered the Episcopal Seminary of Guatemala in 1971 and studied for a year at the Seminary of the Southwest. He was ordained a priest in 1974.[1]

Guerra was made bishop of Guatemala in 1982.[2] He was the first native Guatemalan to serve as bishop there, previous bishops having been sent as missionaries from the United States.[3] At 32, he was also the youngest bishop in the Episcopal Church.[3][1] Guerra built partnerships with U.S.-based Episcopal dioceses.[2][3]

He was elected primate of IARCA in April 2010 and installed on June 12 of that year.[4] In 2013, Guerra hosted a visit to Guatemala by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.[5] He visited the U.S.-Mexico border in 2013 amid a sharp rise in Guatemalans crossing the border and said he hoped to communicate the dangerous conditions to his fellow Guatemalans.[6] He stepped down as primate in 2015 and retired as diocesan bishop in 2018.[7][8]

References

  1. 1 2 Smith, Deborah (November 3, 1990). "Irony in his name". The Free Lance-Star. p. 10. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  2. 1 2 Briggs, Ed (October 27, 1984). "Episcopal Church walks tightrope". Richmond Times-Dispatch. p. A10. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Cannon, Vivian (December 5, 1986). "'Distance' a stumbling block for Episcopal companion program". Mobile Register. p. 1-B. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  4. ↑ "CENTRAL AMERICA: Armando Guerra of Guatemala elected primate". Episcopal News Service. April 19, 2010. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Archbishop of Canterbury visits Guatemala Anglicans". Anglican Communion News Service. August 12, 2013. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  6. ↑ Trevizo, Perla (September 28, 2013). "Faith-based groups push for immigration reform". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  7. ↑ Kallsen, Kevin (March 23, 2015). "New primate for Central America". Anglican Ink. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
  8. ↑ "New leaders across Central America". Anglican Communion News Service. August 10, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2026.