Bishop of Pereira
Nelson Jair Cardona Ramírez is Bishop of Pereira, Colombia. Monsignor Nelson Jair Cardona Ramírez was born on 18 January 1969 in Norcasia, Caldas, in the household of Carlos Cardona and Josefina Ramírez. He received primary and secondary education in Norcasia and then entered the major seminary. He perfected his studies by pursuing the licentiate in Spiritual Theology at the Gregorian University in Rome, and obtained a doctorate at the Theological Pastoral Institute for Latin America and the Caribbean (ITEPAL) with a thesis on priestly formation. He was ordained priest on 12 December 1992 for the Diocese of La Dorada-Guaduas. He served as diocesan delegate for youth ministry (1993-1995); diocesan delegate for vocational ministry (1993-1996); pastor in La Paz (1994-1996 and 1998); professor and formator in the major seminary (1994-1996, 1998-2000); diocesan delegate for vocational ministry (1998-2002); attached to the Cathedral of La Dorada (1999-2000 and 2005-2006); parish administrator in Puerto Salgar (2000); delegate for the pastoral care of ordained ministries (2005); professor and formator in the major seminary (2005-2010); pastor in Manzanares (2007-2013); and pastor at Santísima Trinidad of Puerto Salgar (2013-2016). He was a member of the presbyteral council, the college of consultors, the pastoral council, and vicar forane of the Nuestra Señora del Carmen vicariate. On 7 May 2016 Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of San José del Guaviare. On 18 June 2016 he received episcopal ordination, and he took canonical possession of the assigned see on 9 July of the same year. From 23 April 2022 until 2 March 2023 he was apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Villavicencio. On 4 October 2024 Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of the Diocese of Pereira. On 04 December 2024 he took apostolic possession of the diocese in a ceremony held in the Cathedral of Pereira, Nuestra Señora de la Pobreza.