Joaquín Mariano Sucunza central zone of Buenos Aires in 1998. On 22 July 2000, Pope John Paul II appointed him auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires and titular bishop of Saetabis. Sucunza received his episcopal consecration on the following 21 October from Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires (later Pope Francis), with Mario José Serra, Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires, and Guillermo Leaden, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus, serving as co-consecrators. Bergoglio gave him increasing responsibility, naming him moderator of the curia on 12 December 2000, vicar general on 27 April 2002, and episcopal vicar for economic affairs on 3 June 2008. He serves as
Catholic Church in Argentina July 2010, Argentina was one of the first countries in the Latin America that legalized same-sex marriage, putting Argentina at odd's ends with the Catholic Church. Protesters, largely consisting of members of the Argentine Catholic Church and Evangelical and Protestant groups were sparked against the legislation, while demonstrating in front of the Congress. Argentina’s Synod of Bishops called upon Catholics to oppose politicians who supported the bill. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires and Primate of Argentina, has said that if a proposed bill giving same-sex couples the opportunity to marry and adopt children should be approved,