José Elías Rauda Gutiérrez

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Rauda and the second or maternal family name is Gutiérrez.

José Elías Rauda Gutiérrez O.F.M.
Bishop of San Vicente
Rauda Gutiérrez in 2017
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Diocese	San Vicente
In office	2009 –
Predecessor	José Luis Escobar Alas
Previous post(s)	Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Ana (2008–2009) Titular Bishop of Foratiana (2008–2009)
Orders
Ordination	22 May 1988
Consecration	9 September 2006 by Luigi Pezzuto
Rank	Archbishop
Personal details
Born	(1962-07-20) 20 July 1962 Agua Caliente, El Salvador

José Elías Rauda Gutiérrez O.F.M. (born 20 July 1962) is a Salvadoran Roman Catholic bishop, being the bishop of the Diocese of San Vicente since 2009. He was previously the auxiliary bishop of Santa Ana and titular bishop of Foratiana from 2008 to 2009.

Biography

Rauda Gutiérrez was born in Agua Caliente, El Salvador, in 1962. He joined the Order of Friars Minor in his teens, and took his solemn vows on 28 February 1987. On 1 April 1989 he was ordained a priest. On 25 January 2008 it was announced that Rauda Gutiérrez had been appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the auxiliary bishop for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Ana and titular bishop of Foratiana. He was ordained a bishop on 19 April 2008 by Luigi Pezzuto. On 12 December 2009 it was announced that Rauda Gutiérrez would be the new bishop of San Vicente, succeeding José Luis Escobar Alas who had been appointed as the new archbishop of San Salvador.

As bishop, Rauda Gutiérrez has maintained close ties to the Salvadoran American community, visiting the United States on multiple occasions.

In 2018 Rauda Gutiérrez caused some controversy when he led a prayer at a meeting of the conservative party ARENA. Rauda Gutiérrez later said that he had been invited to give a prayer by the party president, and that he was not formally endorsing the political party.