Archdiocese of Buenos Aires
Encyclopedia
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
based on the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, the capital of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. The Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
since 28 February 1998 is Jorge Bergoglio. Its mother church
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
is the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral
Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral
The Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral is the main Catholic church in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is located in the city center, overlooking Plaza de Mayo, on the corner of San Martín and Rivadavia streets, in the San Nicolás neighbourhood...
.
The territory of the Archdiocese has an area of 203 km² and a population of 2,729,610 (2005), of which around 2.5 million are Catholic, served by 182 parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es. It is divided into four zonal vicaries: Flores, Devoto, Belgrano and Centro, in turn subdivided into 20 deaconates.
The archdiocese has 11 suffragans, corresponding to the dioceses of Avellaneda-Lanús, Gregorio de Laferrere, Lomas de Zamora, Merlo-Moreno, Morón, San Charbel en Buenos Aires (Maronite), San Isidro, San Justo, San Martín, San Miguel, and Santa María del Patrocinio en Buenos Aires (Ukrainian).
The diocese was erected on 6 April 1620 as an offshoot of the Diocese of Paraguay, and was elevated to archdiocese on 5 March 1866. Through the years it lost large parts of its territory to the new dioceses of Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Paraná, La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
and Viedma.
List of ordinaries
The following is a list of ordinariesOrdinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
, since the erection of the diocese on April 6, 1620:
Bishops
- Pedro Carranza Salinas, O. Carm.CarmelitesThe Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Carmelites is a Catholic religious order perhaps founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel, hence its name. However, historical records about its origin remain uncertain...
(30 Mar 1620 Appointed – 29 Feb 1632 Died, first bishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
) - Cristóbal de Aresti Martínez de Aguilar, O.S.B.Order of Saint BenedictThe Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
(3 Dec 1635 Appointed – 1641 Died) - Cristóbal de la Mancha y Velazco, O.P.Dominican OrderThe Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
(31 Aug 1641 Appointed – 4 Jul 1673 Died) - Antonio de Azcona Imberto (9 May 1676 Appointed – 19 Feb 1700 Died)
- Gabriel de Arregui, O.F.M.FranciscanMost Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
(23 Jun 1712 Appointed – 1716 Appointed, Bishop of Cuzco) - Pedro de Fajardo, O.SS.T.Trinitarian OrderThe Order of the Holy Trinity is a Catholic religious order that was founded in the area of Cerfroid, some 80 km northeast of Paris, at the end of the twelfth century. The founder was St. John de Matha, whose feast day is celebrated on 17 December...
(22 May 1713 Appointed – 16 Dec 1729 Died) - Juan de ArreguiJuan de ArreguiJuan de Arregui was a Spanish Franciscan priest native of America.-Biography:Friar Juan de Arregui was bishop of Buenos Aires and Paraguay . He exerted political leadership in Paraguay during Revolt of the Comuneros ....
, O.F.M.FranciscanMost Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
(22 Nov 1730 Appointed – 19 Dec 1736 Died) - José de Peralta Barrionuevo y Rocha Benavídez, O.P.Dominican OrderThe Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
(19 May 1738 Appointed – 14 Jun 1746 Appointed, Bishop of La PazRoman Catholic Archdiocese of La PazThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of La Paz is an archdiocese located in the city of La Paz in Bolivia.-History:* July 4, 1605: Established as Diocese of La Paz in Bolivia from the Diocese of La Plata...
) - Cayetano Marcellano y Agramont (23 Jan 1749 Appointed – 23 May 1757 Appointed, Bishop of Trujillo)
- José Antonio Basurco y Herrera (2 Apr 1757 Appointed – 5 Feb 1761 Died)
- Manuel Antonio de la Torre (14 Jul 1762 Appointed – 20 Oct 1776 Died)
- Sebastián Malvar y Pinto, O.F.M.FranciscanMost Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
(19 Oct 1777 Appointed – 15 Dec 1783 Appointed, Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela) - Manuel Azamor y Ramírez (27 Jan 1785 Appointed – 2 Oct 1796 Died)
- Pedro Inocencio Bejarano (3 Jul 1797 Appointed – 23 Feb 1801 Appointed, Bishop of Sigüenza)
- Benito Lué y Riega (9 Aug 1802 Appointed – 22 Mar 1812 Died)
- Mariano Medrano y Cabrera (7 Oct 1829 Appointed – 7 Apr 1851 Died)
Archbishops
- Mariano José de Escalada Bustillo y Zeballos (23 Jun 1854 Appointed – 28 Jul 1870 Died, first archbishopArchbishopAn archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
) - Federico León Aneiros (Aneyros) (25 Jul 1873 Appointed – 3 Sep 1894 Died)
- Uladislao Castellano (12 Sep 1895 Appointed – 6 Feb 1900 Died)
- Mariano Antonio Espinosa (24 Aug 1900 Appointed – 8 Apr 1923 Died)
- José María Bottaro y Hers, O.F.M.FranciscanMost Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
(9 Sep 1926 Appointed – 20 Jul 1932 Resigned) - Santiago CopelloSantiago CopelloSantiago Luis Copello was an Argentine Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires from 1932 to 1959, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1935.-Biography:...
(20 Sep 1932 Appointed – 25 Mar 1959 Appointed, Chancellor of the Apostolic Chancery, first cardinalCardinal (Catholicism)A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
) - Fermín Emilio Lafitte (25 Mar 1959 Succeeded – 8 Aug 1959 Died)
- Antonio Caggiano (15 Aug 1959 Appointed – 22 Apr 1975 Retired)
- Juan Carlos Aramburu (22 Apr 1975 Succeeded – 10 Jul 1990 Retired)
- Antonio Quarracino (10 Jul 1990 Appointed – 28 Feb 1998 Died)
- Jorge Bergoglio, S.J.Society of JesusThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
(28 Feb 1998 Succeeded – )