He was appointed apostolic administrator of the archdiocese of Bogotá on 15 April 1967 and transferred to the titular see of Cariana on 30 March 1968. He hosted the visit of Pope Paul VI to Bogotá in August 1968 on the occasion of the 39th International Eucharistic Congress; it was the first papal visit to Latin America. He was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Bogotá on 2 February 1969.
He played a key role as apostolic administrator of the archdiocese of Bogotá from 15 April 1967, and later moved to the titular see of Cariana on 30 March 1968. He successfully hosted Pope Paul VI's visit to Bogotá in August 1968 for the 39th International Eucharistic Congress, marking a significant milestone in papal visits to Latin America. He was subsequently named Coadjutor Archbishop of Bogotá on 2 February 1969.