Monsignor Teodoro León Muñoz

Appointed Titular Bishop of Mentesa and Auxiliary Bishop of Seville on April 1, 2023, he received episcopal ordination on May 27, 2023, in the Cathedral of Seville.

Teodoro León Muñoz was born in Puertollano (Ciudad Real) on November 27, 1964. He was ordained to the priesthood on December 22, 1991 by Msgr. Carlos Amigo Vallejo, Archbishop of Seville, in the Cathedral of Seville. Subsequently, he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from the University of Navarra (1993). He received his degree and doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome (1995-2000), obtaining the distinction of the St. Robert Bellarmine Medal. During his stay in Rome, he also completed a specialization course in jurisprudence at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (1998), and on crimes and punishments in the legislation of the Church at the Apostolic Penitentiary (1999). He has studied civil law at the Universidad Nacional a Distancia (2008-2010). He has participated in various courses and conferences on Canon Law and forensic practice organized by the Universities of the Holy Cross (Rome), Navarra, Salamanca, Comillas (Madrid) and the Tribunal of the Roman Rota.

Priestly ministry

His priestly ministry has been developed in the diocese of Seville, where he has carried out the following pastoral tasks: pastor in Guadalema de los Quintero, El Torbiscal, El Palmar de Troya, (1991-1995); pastor of Trajano, Trobal and Pinzó (1991-1992); coordinator of catechesis of the East Zone of Seville (1994-1995); parochial vicar in the city of Seville, parish San Isidoro (2000-2004); royal canon chaplain canon of the cathedral chapter of Seville (2002-2013); rector of the Collegiate Church of the Divine Savior (2013-2014); spiritual director of the Association of the Faithful of the Virgen de los Reyes and San Fernando (2004-2013); spiritual director of the male and female Spanish Nocturnal Adoration of Seville (2015-2018).

Diocesan Curia

In the diocesan curia he has held the following positions: prosecutor and defender of the bond (2000-2008), vice president (2009) and president of the Interdiocesan Court of Second Instance of Seville (2010); vice secretary general and vice chancellor of the archdiocese of Seville (2002-2005); episcopal delegate for the legal affairs of the Brotherhoods and Confraternities (2005-2009); director of the secretariat of legal affairs (2010-2012).

Until his appointment as auxiliary bishop he has been vicar general of the Archdiocese of Seville and moderator of the curia (2010); dean president of the cathedral chapter of Seville (2013); episcopal delegate for the causes of saints (2005); judge of the metropolitan tribunal of Seville (2011); secretary general of the assembly of the bishops of southern Spain (2017); secretary of the ecclesiastical province of Seville (2017); Coordinator of the Office for the protection of minors and vulnerable people (2020). He is also vice-president of several foundations whose president is the Archbishop of Seville; member of the presbyteral council; college of consultors; diocesan pastoral council; legal affairs commission; budget and finance commission; diocesan patrimony and resources commission.

Teaching

In the field of teaching he has been professor of religion in primary education (1992-1994); professor of the basic and medium course of religious pedagogy for the formation of the catechist of the East Zone of Seville (1994-1995); professor of the basic course of liturgy at the Institute of Liturgy San Isidoro of Seville (1994-1995); professor of Canon Law, Marriage and Family, Fundamental Pastoral Theology and Fundamental Morals at the Center for Theological Studies of Seville (2000-2016).

Publications

His publications include the following titles: Ecclesiastical celibacy. Historical-Legal Synthesis (From the Council of Elvira to the Council of Trent), Rome 1997; The territoriality of the Diocese and the Parish. Theological-canonical significance (Doctoral thesis), Seville 2000; Los bautizados en la Iglesia Católica exentos de la forma canónica: problemática canónica y  procesal, Sevilla 2004; “El Arcipreste, su identidad y misión, según el Código de Derecho Canónico”, in Isidorianum Núm. 32-33 (2007) 413-432; Mother Mary of the Most Pure. The heroic power of loveMadrid 2010; Perfil espiritual de San Fernando en el contexto histórico de la espiritualidad del siglo XIII, Sevilla 2013; Santa María de la Purísima, Madrid 2015; Semblanza de la Sierva de Dios Cristina de Arteaga y Falguera, Jerónima, Seville 2016; Father José Torres Padilla, Co-Founder of the Sisters of the Company of the Cross. Biographical profile, Madrid 2020; “The venerable Father Fernando de Contreras, diocesan priest of the 16th century, friend of Master Avila,” in Cuadernos Isidorianum 11 (2020) 13-40; Father José Torres Padilla, Apostle of Charity, Madrid 2021.