José Luis Gerardo Ponce de León

José Luís Gerardo Ponce de León (Consolata Missionaries), (born 8 May 1961), is an Argentine-born South African Roman Catholic prelate who is the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manzini, eSwatini since November 2013. He was appointed bishop by Pope Benedict XVI on 24 November 2008. He was consecrated at Mtubatuba, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa on 18 April 2009. He served as the Apostolic Vicar of the Apostolic Vicariate of Ingwavuma, South Africa from 24 November 2008 until 30 April 2016. He concurrently served as Titular Bishop of Maturba from 24 November 2008 until 29 November 2013.

Background and education He was born on 8 May 1961 in Buenos Aires Argentina, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. After completing high school, he became a member of the order of Consolata Missionaries. He studied philosophy. He then studied theology in Colombia, South America. He was ordained a priest of his Catholic Religious Order on 2 August 1986.

Priest He took his preliminary vows as a member of the Consolata Missionaries on 9 January 1983. He then took his perpetual vows on 28 December 1985. He was ordained a priest of the Consolata Missionaries, a Catholic Religious Order on 28 March 1998. He served as priest until 24 November 2008.