Bishop of Pasto
Juan Carlos Cárdenas Toro is Apostolic Administrator of Mocoa-Sibundoy, Colombia. Monsignor Juan Carlos Cárdenas Toro was born on 31 May 1968 in Cartago, Valle. After primary school at Instituto San Juan Bosco, he continued studies at Instituto Técnico Indalecio Penilla in his native city. He completed philosophy studies at Seminario Nacional Cristo Sacerdote, Diocese of Sonsón - Rionegro, and theology at the major seminary of his own diocese. He was ordained priest on 6 September 1997, being incardinated in the Diocese of Cartago. In 2001 - 2003 he attended the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he obtained a licentiate in philosophy. In 2013 he obtained a licentiate in Fundamental Theology at the University of San Buenaventura in Bogotá. He served as parish vicar at Perpetuo Socorro Parish, diocesan delegate for family ministry, and professor and spiritual director at the minor seminary of Cartago (September 1997 - January 1998); pastor at Epifanía del Señor Parish (1998); rector of the Santuario del Divino Ecce Horno in Ricaurte - Valle, formator, treasurer, and spiritual director at the diocesan major seminary, diocesan delegate for communications media, and diocesan adviser for the Cursillos de Cristiandad movement (1999-2001); pastor at San Nicolás de Tolentino Parish (September 2003 to March 2010); again rector of the Santuario del Divino Ecce Horno (July 2005 - March 2010); diocesan delegate for the New Evangelization (January 2005 - March 2007); director of social and community development of the diocesan corporation pro comunidad cristiana of Cartago (March 2007 - March 2010); subdirector of the National Secretariat of Social Pastoral and coordinator of the pastoral center for evangelization of the social sphere (April 2010 - July 2014). In the secretariat of the Episcopal Conference he was also responsible for forming the Department for Life. He was director of the Department of Ecclesial Places of the permanent secretariat of the episcopate (2014), adjunct secretary of the Episcopal Conference (July 2014), and secretary general of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) (2019 - 2023). On 26 June 2015 Pope Francis appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cali, and on 25 July he was ordained bishop. On 01 October 2020 Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of the Diocese of Pasto, and he took possession of that see on 21 November 2020. On 29 May 2025, during the possession ceremony of Monsignor Luis Albeiro Maldonado as Bishop of the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Osos, the Apostolic Nuncio in Colombia, Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, announced the appointment of Monsignor Juan Carlos Cárdenas as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Mocoa-Sibundoy.