Bishop Virginio Domingo Bressanelli of Neuquén died

Bishop Virginio Domingo Bressanelli, emeritus bishop of Neuquén, died on the morning of October 23, 2026. The Diocese of Neuquén reported that he passed away at approximately 10:00 a.m.

Born in Beravebú, Argentina, on May 1, 1942, Bressanelli was a member of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Dehonians). He studied theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was ordained a priest there on December 17, 1966.

Pope John Paul II appointed Bressanelli as bishop of Comodoro Rivadavia on February 19, 2005. On February 10, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI named him coadjutor bishop of Neuquén. He succeeded Marcelo Melani as the fourth bishop of Neuquén in November 2011. He also presided over the Commission for Life within the Argentine Episcopal Conference.