The bishop of the Arecibo diocese in Puerto Rico said the Vatican is replacing him against his wishes.

Wednesday’s announcement comes nearly a year after Monsignor Daniel Fernández declined to sign a decree issued by the Puerto Rican Episcopal Conference declaring that unvaccinated parishioners would be separated from vaccinated ones during activities including the presentation of bread and wine at the altar.

The Episcopal Conference also suggested that unvaccinated parishioners avoid other in-person church activities until further notice.

“We’re taking this measure for your own safety, and for that of priests, religious people and also relatives and parishioners,” the August 24 2021 decree stated.

Mr Fernández did not specify the reason for his substitution in a lengthy statement but said he felt “blessed to suffer persecution and slander”, adding that “God is my judge”.

He said he was never formally accused of anything nor faced any kind of process.

Mr Fernández said he was told he had not committed any crime but that he allegedly “had not been obedient to the Pope nor had he had sufficient communion with my brother bishops of Puerto Rico”.

Spokesmen for the Vatican and for Puerto Rico’s archbishop did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokeswoman for the Arecibo Diocese declined to comment while a secretary at the Puerto Rican Episcopal Conference said no one was available to speak.

Mr Fernández had served as bishop for nearly 12 years.