Archbishop of Cuzco
Archbishop Richard Daniel Alarcón Urrutia, Archbishop of Cuzco, Peru, was born in Lima on 10 April 1952. He completed his primary studies at the Escuela Fiscal of La Victoria, Lima, and secondary studies at G.U.E. Melitón Carbajal, Lince-Lima. His priestly formation is Franciscan. He entered the Franciscan Order in 1969. He completed his philosophical studies in Cusco at the Franciscan studentate of La Recoleta, and his theological studies at the Pontifical and Civil Faculty of Theology of Lima. He made solemn profession in the Order of Friars Minor on 15 May 1976 and was ordained a priest on 08 December 1976. He exercised his priestly ministry as parish priest of San Francisco Parish in Cusco and then devoted himself to the formation of postulants, philosophers, and theologians. He was guardian and master of postulants at the Santa Bárbara Convent in Juliaca, Puno, from 1979 to 1981, and vice-master of temporary professed members, theologians, at the formation house of the San Francisco Convent in Lima in 1982. On 20 April 1993 he obtained the indult to leave the Franciscan Order, being incardinated in the Diocese of Tarma. He moved to the Diocese of Tarma as a missionary priest and remained until he was incardinated as a diocesan priest. He worked as parish priest of San Cristóbal de Palcamayo from 1983 to 1989, diocesan administrator of the Diocese of Tarma from 1990 to 1992, parish priest of the Cathedral of Santa Ana of Tarma from 1993 to 1996, parish priest of San Miguel Arcángel de Ulcumayo from 1996 to 2001, and head of the diocesan commission for the laity from 1999 to 2001. In addition, he was vicar general of the Diocese of Tarma. On 13 June 2001 he was appointed Bishop for the Diocese of Tarma, receiving episcopal ordination on the following 21 July 2001, the date on which he took canonical possession of the diocese. In 2012 he was elected president of Caritas Peru, and at the 104º Extraordinary Plenary Assembly of the Episcopal Conference he was elected a member of the Permanent Council. On 27 October 2014, His Holiness Pope Francis appointed him Archbishop of Cusco; he took possession on 03 January 2015. At the 111ª Plenary Assembly held from 5 to 9 March 2018, he was elected president of the Episcopal Commission for Liturgy for the triennium from March 2018 to January 2021, and he was reelected at the 124th Plenary Assembly for the period 2022-2025.