Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mérida in Venezuela

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mérida (Latin: Archidioecesis Emeritensis in Venetiola) is a Latin rite 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 town, Miranda, Mérida municipality.

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 : on 1863.03.07 to establish the Dioceses of Barquisimeto (now a Metropolitan) and Calabozo; on 1897.07.28 to establish Diocese of Zulia; on 1922.10.12 to establish its suffragan Diocese of San Cristóbal de Venezuela
• Pope Pius IX elevated the diocese to Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mérida on 11 June 11, 1923.
• It lost more territory to establish two more 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

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally served 566,519 Catholics (85.0% of 666,491 total) on 8,109 km² in 62 parishes and 14 missions with 133 priests (98 diocesan, 35 religious), 21 deacons, 277 lay religious (59 brothers, 218 sisters) and 46 seminarians.

Episcopal Ordinaries

(all Roman Rite)

Suffragans Bishops of Merida

• Juan Manuel Antonio Ramos Lora, Friars Minor (O.F.M.) (born Spain) (23 Sep 1782 - death 9 Nov 1790)
• Cándido Manuel de Torrijos Riguerra, Dominican Order (O.P.) (born Colombia) (19 Dec 1791 - death 20 Nov 1794)
• Antonio Ramón de Espinosa (y Lorenzo), O.P. (born Spain) (18 Dec 1795 - death 23 Sep 1800)
• Santiago Hernández Milanés (born Spain) (20 July 1801 - death 26 March 1812)
• Rafael Lasso de la Vega (born Panama) (8 March 1816 - 15 Dec 1828), next Bishop of Quito (Ecuador) (1827.05.21 – death 1831.04.16)
  • Auxiliary Bishop: Buenaventura Arias (1827 – death 1829), no titular see
• José Buenaventura Arias Bergara (22 Dec 1828 - death 21 Nov 1831); succeeding as previous Titular Bishop of Hiericho (1826.10.02 – 1831.11.21) & Auxiliary Bishop of Mérida (1826.10.02 – 1828.12.22)
• José Vicente de Unda (first? native incumbent) (11 July 1836 - death 19 July 1840)
• Juan Hilario Bosset (Boset) (27 Jan 1842 - death 1873)
• ? Thomas Zerpa (29 Sep 1876 - ? )
• Román Lovera (20 August 1880 - death 1892)
• Antonio Ramón Silva (21 May 1894 - 11 June 1923 see below)

Metropolitan Archbishops of Mérida

• Antonio Ramón Silva (see above 11 June 1923 - death 1 August 1927)
• Acacio Chacón Guerra (1 August 1927 - retired 15 Dec 1966), President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (1958 – 1961); previously Titular Archbishop of Milevum (1926.05.10 – 1927.08.01) as Coadjutor Archbishop of Mérida (1926.05.10 – succession 1927.08.01); emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Scebatiana (1966.12.15 – resigned 1971.01.19), died 1978
  • Coadjutor Archbishop: José Humberto Quintero Parra (later Cardinal) (1953.09.07 – 1960.08.31), Titular Archbishop of Acrida (1953.09.07 – 1960.08.31); next Metropolitan Archbishop of Caracas (Venezuela) (1960.08.31 – retired 1980.05.24), President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (1961 – 1972), created Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Andrea e Gregorio al Monte Celio (1961.01.19 – death 1984.07.08)
• José Rafael Pulido Méndez (22 Nov 1966 - death 30 August 1972), previously Bishop of Maracaibo (Venezuela) (1958.06.21 – 1961.01.16), Titular Archbishop of Cyrrhus (1961.01.16 – 1966.11.22) as Coadjutor Archbishop of Mérida (1961.01.16 – succession 1966.11.22)
• Angel Pérez Cisneros (30 August 1972 - 20 August retired 1979), died 1987; previously Bishop of Barcelona in Venezuela (Venezuela) (1960.05.23 – 1969.07.25), Titular Archbishop of Castello (1969.07.25 – 1972.08.30) as Coadjutor Archbishop of Mérida (1969.07.25 – successor 1972.08.30)
• Miguel Antonio Salas Salas, Eudists (C.I.M.) (20 August 1979 - retired 30 Oct 1991), died 2003; previously Bishop of Calabozo (Venezuela) (1961.01.16 – 1979.08.20)
• Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo (30 Oct 1991 – ...), Apostolic Administrator of suffragan San Cristóbal de Venezuela (Venezuela) (1998.03.02 – 1999.04.14), President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (1999 – 2006), First Vice-President of Latin American Episcopal Council (2007.07.12 – 2011.05.19), created Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Giovanni Evangelista e Petronio (2016.11.19 [2017.06.11] – ...); succeeding as previous previously Titular Bishop of Lamdia (1983.07.23 – 1991.10.30) and Auxiliary Bishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1983.07.23 – 1991.10.30)
  • Auxiliary Bishop: Luis Alfonso Márquez Molina, Eudists (C.I.M.) (2001.10.18 – retired 2013.07.15), Titular Bishop of Turris rotunda (2001.10.18 – ...)
  • Auxiliary Bishop: Juan María Leonardi Villasmil (1994.01.27 – 1997.07.12), Titular Bishop of Lesvi (1994.01.27 – 1997.07.12); next Bishop of Punto Fijo (Venezuela) (1997.07.12 – death 2014.06.07)
  • Auxiliary Bishop: Alfredo Enrique Torres Rondón (2013.07.15 – 2016.07.15), Titular Bishop of Sassura (2013.07.15 – 2016.07.15), next Bishop of San Fernando de Apure (Venezuela) (2016.07.15 – ...)
  • Auxiliary Bishop (2017.06.19 – ...): Bishop-elect Luis Enrique Rojas Ruiz, Titular Bishop of Unizibira (2017.06.19 – ...)

Ecclesiastical province

The Metropolitan's ecclesiastical province comprises his own archbishopric and the following Suffragan sees :

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Barinas, its daughter
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Guasdualito
• Roman Catholic Diocese of San Cristóbal de Venezuela, its daughter
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Trujillo, Venezuela

See also

• List of Catholic dioceses in Venezuela
• Roman Catholicism in Venezuela

Sources and external links

• GCatholic.org - data for all sections
• Diocese website
• Catholic Hierarchy ^{[self-published]}

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