Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mérida in Venezuela

Archdiocese of Mérida
Archidioecesis Emeritensis in Venetiola
Location
Country Venezuela
Statistics
Area 8,109 km2 (3,131 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics
(as of 2004)
603,464
543,118 (90.0%)
Information
Rite Latin Rite
Established 16 February 1778 (237 years ago)
Cathedral Catedral Basílica Menor de la Inmaculada Concepción de Mérida
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Bishop Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo
Auxiliary Bishops Luis Alfonso Márquez Molina, C.I.M.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mérida (Latin: Archidioecesis Emeritensis in Venetiola) is a Latin Metropolitan Archdiocese in western Venezuela.

Its cathedral archiepiscopal see is Catedral Basílica Menor de la Inmaculada Concepción de Mérida, a minor basilica located in the city of Mérida. It also has the Minor Basilica of Santa Lucía, in Timotes.

History

On 16 February 1778 Pope Pius VI established the Diocese of Mérida, on territories split off from the then Diocese of Caracas and Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santafé en Nueva Granada in Colombia.

It lost territory repeatedly :

Pope Pius IX elevated the diocese to Metropolitan Archdiocese of Merida on 11 June 11, 1923. It lost more territory to establish two mpre suffragans : on 1957.06.04 Trujillo, on 1965.07.23 Barinas

It enjoyed a papal visit from Pope John Paul II in January 1985.)

On 1994.07.07 it lost territory to establish the Diocese of El Vigía–San Carlos del Zulia

On 3 December 2015 it was assigned another suffragan see, the newly created Diocese of Guasdualito

Episcopal Ordinaries

(all Roman Rite)

Suffragans Bishops of Merida
Metropolitan Archbishops of Merida

BIOS TO BE ELABORATED

Province

Its ecclesiastical province comprises the Metropolitan's archbishopric and the following Suffragan sees :

Sources and External links

Coordinates: 8°35′50″N 71°08′38″W / 8.59722°N 71.14389°W / 8.59722; -71.14389


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