On April 22, Pope Francis appointed a Polish missionary, Father Krzysztof Kudlawiec, to lead the Diocese of Caule, Ecuador.

On February 2, Pope Francis created the Diocese of Caule from the territory of Archdiocese of Guayaquil. The Pontiff named an Italian missionary priest, Auxiliary Bishop Giovanni Battista Piccioli of Guayaquil, as its first bishop. Two weeks before his installation, the bishop-elect, without explanation, resigned.