Roman Catholicism in Argentina
Encyclopedia
The Catholic Church in Argentina
is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church
, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope
, the Curia
in Rome, and the Argentine Episcopal Conference
.
There are an estimated 33 million baptised
Roman Catholics in Argentina, roughly 89% of the population. According to a 1999 study, 78% of Argentinians call themselves Catholics, though many of these are nominal Catholics who only attend church on specific social occasions (weddings, baptism ceremonies, etc.). According to the CIA Factbook, 92% of the country are Catholic, but only 20% practice their faith regularly (i.e., attend Mass
every single Sunday throughout the Liturgical Year
).
The church in Argentina is divided into administrative territorial units called diocese
s and archdioceses. Buenos Aires, for example, is an archdiocese owing to is size and historical significance as the capitol of the nation. The archdiocese of Buenos Aires
is headed by Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, the current metropolitan archbishop. Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral
, the seat of the archbishop, also houses the remains of General José de San Martín
in a mausoleum.
There are seven Catholic universities in Argentina: Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina
(Buenos Aires), the Universidad Católica de Córdoba
, the Universidad de La Plata, the Universidad de Salta, the Universidad de Santa Fe, the Universidad de Cuyo, and the Universidad de Santiago del Estero. Religious orders run and sponsor hundreds of primary and secondary schools throughout the country, with government funding.
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...
is part of the worldwide 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...
, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, the Curia
Curia
A curia in early Roman times was a subdivision of the people, i.e. more or less a tribe, and with a metonymy it came to mean also the meeting place where the tribe discussed its affairs...
in Rome, and the Argentine Episcopal Conference
Argentine Episcopal Conference
The Argentine Episcopal Conference is an episcopal conference of the Roman Catholic Church of Argentina that gathers the bishops of the country in order to discuss pastoral issues and in general all matters that have to do with the Church...
.
There are an estimated 33 million baptised
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
Roman Catholics in Argentina, roughly 89% of the population. According to a 1999 study, 78% of Argentinians call themselves Catholics, though many of these are nominal Catholics who only attend church on specific social occasions (weddings, baptism ceremonies, etc.). According to the CIA Factbook, 92% of the country are Catholic, but only 20% practice their faith regularly (i.e., attend Mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
every single Sunday throughout the Liturgical Year
Liturgical year
The liturgical year, also known as the church year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and which portions of Scripture are to be read. Distinct liturgical colours may appear in...
).
The church in Argentina is divided into administrative territorial units called diocese
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...
s and archdioceses. Buenos Aires, for example, is an archdiocese owing to is size and historical significance as the capitol of the nation. The archdiocese of Buenos Aires
Archdiocese of Buenos Aires
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Buenos Aires is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church based on the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. The Archbishop since 28 February 1998 is Jorge Bergoglio...
is headed by Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, the current metropolitan archbishop. 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 seat of the archbishop, also houses the remains of General José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
in a mausoleum.
There are seven Catholic universities in Argentina: Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina
Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina
The Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina is a university in Argentina with campus in the cities of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Rosario, Paraná, Mendoza and Pergamino. The main campus is located in Puerto Madero, one of the most modern neighborhood of Buenos Aires...
(Buenos Aires), the Universidad Católica de Córdoba
Universidad Católica de Córdoba
The Universidad Católica de Córdoba is a private Jesuit university of Argentina that was founded on June 8 1956....
, the Universidad de La Plata, the Universidad de Salta, the Universidad de Santa Fe, the Universidad de Cuyo, and the Universidad de Santiago del Estero. Religious orders run and sponsor hundreds of primary and secondary schools throughout the country, with government funding.
Pastoral Regions
- Región Noroeste (NOA) (NortheastArgentine NorthwestThe Argentine Northwest is a region of Argentina composed by the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy, Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán.-Geography:The region had 5 different biomes:* Sub-Andean humid Sierras of the east...
Region) - Región Noreste (NEA) (Northwest Region)
- Región de Cuyo (Cuyo Region)
- Región Centro (Central Region)
- Región Litoral (LittoralLittoralThe littoral zone is that part of a sea, lake or river that is close to the shore. In coastal environments the littoral zone extends from the high water mark, which is rarely inundated, to shoreline areas that are permanently submerged. It always includes this intertidal zone and is often used to...
Region) - Región Buenos Aires (Buenos AiresBuenos AiresBuenos 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...
Region) - Región Platense (PlatenseLa PlataLa 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....
Region) - Región Patagonia-Comahue (PatagoniaPatagoniaPatagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
–ComahueComahue.Comahue is a sub-region of Argentina slightly to the south of the country's centre that covers the northern part of Argentine Patagonia and includes the provinces of Neuquén and Río Negro....
Region)
Divisions by region
- Northwest — 10 dioceses: AñatuyaAñatuyaAñatuya is a city in the province of Santiago del Estero, Argentina. It has 30.000 inhabitants as per the , and is the head town of the General Taboada Department...
, CafayateCafayate-External links: *...
, CatamarcaSan Fernando del Valle de CatamarcaSan Fernando del Valle de Catamarca is a city in northwestern Argentina and capital of Catamarca Province, on the Río Valle River, at the feet of the Cerro Ambato....
, ConcepciónConcepción, TucumánConcepción is a city and the department seat of Chicligasta in Tucumán Province, Argentina. It is located 76 km south of the provincial capital San Miguel de Tucumán and has a population of 47,693...
, HumahuacaHumahuacaHumahuaca is a city in the province of Jujuy, Argentina. It has 11,369 inhabitants as per the , and is the principal town of the Department of Humahuaca...
, JujuySan Salvador de JujuySan Salvador de Jujuy , commonly known as Jujuy and locally often referred to as San Salvador, is the capital city of Jujuy Province in northwest Argentina. It lies near the southern end of the Humahuaca Canyon where wooded hills meet the lowlands....
, OránOranOran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
, SaltaSaltaSalta is a city in northwestern Argentina and the capital city of the Salta Province. Along with its metropolitan area, it has a population of 464,678 inhabitants as of the , making it Argentina's eighth largest city.-Overview:...
, Santiago del EsteroSantiago del EsteroSantiago del Estero is the capital of Santiago del Estero Province in northern Argentina. It has a population of 244,733 inhabitants, making it the twelfth largest city in the country, with a surface area of 2,116 km². It lies on the Dulce River and on National Route 9, at a distance of...
, and Tucumán - Northeast — 9 dioceses: CorrientesCorrientesCorrientes is the capital city of the province of Corrientes, Argentina, located on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, about from Buenos Aires and from Posadas, on National Route 12...
, FormosaFormosa, ArgentinaFormosa is the capital city of the Argentine province of Formosa, on the banks of the Paraguay River, about from Buenos Aires, on National Route 11. It has a population of about 210,000 as per the ....
, GoyaGoya, CorrientesGoya is a city in the south-west of the province of Corrientes in the Argentine Mesopotamia. It has about 87,000 inhabitants as of the .The city lies on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, opposite Reconquista, Santa Fe, 222 kilometres south from the provincial capital and 715 kilometres...
, PosadasPosadas, MisionesPosadas is the capital city of the Argentine province of Misiones, located at the south of the province, on the left-hand shore of the Paraná River, opposite Encarnación, Paraguay. The city has an area of 965 km² and a population of 323,739 ....
, Puerto IguazúPuerto IguazúPuerto Iguazú is a frontier city in the province of Misiones, Argentina. With a population of 82.227 ,it is the fifth largest city in the Province, after Posadas, Oberá, Eldorado and San Vicente....
, ReconquistaReconquista, Santa FeReconquista is a city in the north of the , from the provincial capital. It is the head town of the General Obligado Department, and it has 66,187 inhabitants according to the ....
, ResistenciaResistencia, ChacoResistencia is the capital and largest city in the province of Chaco, in northeastern Argentina. At the 2001 census, the population of the Resistencia city proper was 274,490 inhabitants. It is the anchor of a slightly larger metropolitan area, Greater Resistencia, which comprises three more...
, Santo ToméSanto Tomé, CorrientesSanto Tomé is a city in the province of Corrientes in the Argentine Mesopotamia. It has about 22,634 inhabitants as of the . It is the head town of the department of the same name....
, San RoqueSan Roque, CorrientesSan Roque is a city in Corrientes Province, Argentina. It is the head town of the San Roque Department.The settlement was established on October 11, 1773.... - Cuyo — 5 dioceses: La RiojaLa Rioja, ArgentinaLa Rioja is the capital city of the Argentine province of La Rioja, located on the east of the province. The city has a population of almost 150,000 as per the ....
, MendozaMendoza, ArgentinaMendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
, San RafaelSan Rafael, MendozaSan Rafael is a city in the southern region of the Mendoza Province, Argentina. With more than 170,000 inhabitants , it is the largest city and the seat of San Rafael Department....
, San Juan de Cuyo, San LuisSan Luis, Argentina-External links:* * *... - Central — 6 dioceses: CórdobaCórdoba, ArgentinaCórdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
, Cruz del EjeCruz del EjeCruz del Eje is a city in the . It has about 28,000 inhabitants as of the . It is the head town of the department of the same name, which has a population of about 52,000....
, Deán Funes, San FranciscoSan Francisco, CórdobaSan Francisco is a city located at the far east border of the province of Córdoba, Argentina, and parts of the city are beyond the border into the province of Santa Fe. In the city National Routes 19 and 158 intersect...
, Villa de la Concepción del Río CuartoRío Cuarto, Córdoba-References:* - Official website....
, Villa MaríaVilla MaríaVilla María is a city in Córdoba Province, Argentina, and the head town of the General San Martín Department. It is located in the center of rich agricultural land. The area leads the country in production of milk...
; Greek MelkiteMelkiteThe term Melkite, also written Melchite, refers to various Byzantine Rite Christian churches and their members originating in the Middle East. The word comes from the Syriac word malkāyā , and the Arabic word Malakī...
Exarchy - Littoral — 7 dioceses: ConcordiaConcordia, Entre RíosSan Antonio de Padua de la Concordia is a city in the north-east of the province of Entre Ríos in the Argentine Mesopotamia. It has about 142,000 inhabitants as of the , and is the head town of the department of the same name.Concordia lies on the right-hand shore of the Uruguay River, opposite...
, Gualeguaychú, Paraná, RafaelaRafaelaRafaela is a city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, about 96 km from the provincial capital. It is the head town of the Castellanos Department. It has a population of 99,150 per the ....
, RosarioRosarioRosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
, Santa Fe de la Vera CruzSanta Fe, ArgentinaSanta Fe is the capital city of province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It sits in northeastern Argentina, near the junction of the Paraná and Salado rivers. It lies opposite the city of Paraná, to which it is linked by the Hernandarias Subfluvial Tunnel. The city is also connected by canal with the...
, Venado TuertoVenado TuertoVenado Tuerto is a city in the south-west of the , 322 km from the provincial capital. It has about 70,000 inhabitants .Venado Tuerto was founded on April 26, 1884 by Eduardo Casey, born in Lobos, Buenos Aires, in 1847. He was the son of two Irish immigrants who had amassed considerable wealth... - Buenos Aires — 11 dioceses: AvellanedaAvellanedaAvellaneda is a port city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the seat of the Avellaneda Partido, whose population was 328,980 as per the ....
–LanúsLanúsLanús is the capital of Lanús Partido, Buenos Aires Province in Argentina. It lies just south of the capital city Buenos Aires, in the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area. The city has a population of 212,152 , and the Partido de Lanús has a total population of 453,500.A major industrial centre,...
, Buenos AiresBuenos AiresBuenos 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...
, Gregorio de LaferrereGregorio de LaferrèreGregorio de Laferrère was an Argentine politician and playwright.-Life and work:Gregorio de Laferrère was born in Buenos Aires to Mercedes Pereda, a local heiress, and Alfonso de Laferrère, a prominent French Argentine landowner. One of three brothers, he earned his secondary school education at...
, Lomas de ZamoraLomas de ZamoraLomas de Zamora is a city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, located next to the border of Buenos Aires City and within the metropolitan area of Greater Buenos Aires.It is the capital of Lomas de Zamora Partido and has a population of 111,897....
, Merlo-MorenoMoreno PartidoMoreno Partido is a partido of the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, within the Gran Buenos Aires urban agglomerate. It has an area of 186 square kilometres, and a population of 462,242...
, MorónMorón, Buenos AiresMorón is a city in the Argentine province of Buenos Aires, capital of the Morón Partido, located in the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area, at...
, Quilmes, San IsidroSan Isidro PartidoSan Isidro is a partido of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina found in the north of Greater Buenos Aires. Its capital is the city of San Isidro. It is from the city of Buenos Aires....
, San Martín, San Miguel, San Justo; Military Bishopric; OrientalOriental OrthodoxyOriental Orthodoxy is the faith of those Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the First Council of Ephesus. They rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon...
Ordinariate; 3 eparchiesEparchyEparchy is an anglicized Greek word , authentically Latinized as eparchia and loosely translating as 'rule over something,' like province, prefecture, or territory, to have the jurisdiction over, it has specific meanings both in politics, history and in the hierarchy of the Eastern Christian...
: ArmenianArmenian Catholic Church|- |The Armenian Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Church sui juris in union with the other Eastern Rite, Oriental Rite and Latin Rite Catholics who accept the Bishop of Rome as spiritual leader of the Church. It is regulated by Eastern canon law...
Eparchy, MaroniteMaronite ChurchThe Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch is an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See of Rome . It traces its heritage back to the community founded by Maron, a 4th-century Syriac monk venerated as a saint. The first Maronite Patriarch, John Maron, was elected in the late 7th...
Eparchy, UkrainianUkrainian Greek Catholic ChurchThe Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church , Ukrainska Hreko-Katolytska Tserkva), is the largest Eastern Rite Catholic sui juris particular church in full communion with the Holy See, and is directly subject to the Pope...
Eparchy - Platense — 10 dioceses: AzulAzul, Buenos AiresAzul is the head city of the Azul Partido, located at the center of the Buenos Aires Province in Argentina, 300 km south of Buenos Aires. It has 63,000 inhabitants as per the ....
, Bahía BlancaBahía BlancaBahía Blanca is a city located in the south-west of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, by the Atlantic Ocean, and seat of government of Bahía Blanca Partido. It has a population of 274,509 inhabitants according to the...
, ChascomúsChascomúsChascomús, is the principal city in Chascomús Partido in eastern Buenos Aires Province in eastern Argentina, located south of the capital Buenos Aires. As of 2001, the city had a population of 30,670 people.-History:...
, La PlataLa PlataLa 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....
, Mar del PlataMar del PlataMar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
, MercedesMercedes, Buenos AiresMercedes is a city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is located 100 km west from Buenos Aires and 30 km south west of Luján. It is the head town of the district of Mercedes as well as of the judicial district...
–LujánLuján, Buenos AiresLuján is a city in the Buenos Aires province of Argentina, located 68 kilometres north west of the city of Buenos Aires. The city was founded in 1755 and has a population of 94,000 ....
, San NicolásSan Nicolás de los ArroyosSan Nicolás de los Arroyos is a city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the western shore of the Paraná River, 61 km from Rosario. It has about 138,000 inhabitants . It is the head town of the partido of the same name...
, Santa RosaSanta Rosa, ArgentinaSanta Rosa is a city in the Argentine Pampas, and the capital of La Pampa Province, Argentina. It lies on the east of the province, on the shore of the Don Tomás Lagoon, at the intersection of National Routes 5 and 35. The city and its surroundings hold 102,610 inhabitants , around a third of the...
, ZárateZárate, Buenos AiresZárate is a city in the northeast of the . It lies on the western shore of the Paraná River, from Buenos Aires. Its population as per the is 101,271 inhabitants. It is the head town and the only city in the partido of the same name....
-Campana - Patagonia-Comahue — 6 dioceses: Alto Valle del Río Negro, Comodoro RivadaviaRoman Catholic Bishop of Comodoro RivadaviaThe Roman Catholic Bishop of Comodoro Rivadavia is a prelate bishop of the Roman Catholic Church in Argentina. He serves as ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Comodoro Rivadavia which encompasses 234,000 km² of central Patagonia covering the Province of Chubut. The Cathedral is...
, NeuquénNeuquénNeuquén is the name of the following things:* Neuquén, Argentina* Neuquén Province* Neuquén River* Neuquén Group...
, Río Gallegos, San Carlos de BarilocheSan Carlos de BarilocheSan Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche, is a city in the , situated in the foothills of the Andes on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake and is located inside Nahuel Huapi National Park...
, Viedma
See also
- List of the Roman Catholic dioceses of Argentina.
- Religion in ArgentinaReligion in ArgentinaA majority of the population of Argentina is nominally Roman Catholic, however, a very significant fact is that 61.1% of Argentines said to be related to God "on their own way", 72.9% said to "never" or "rarely" attend ceremonies of worship....
. - State-Church relations in ArgentinaState-Church relations in ArgentinaThe first conflicts between the Roman Catholic Church and the Argentine government can be traced to the ideas of the May Revolution of 1810. The Tribunal of the Inquisition was suppressed in the territories of the United Provinces of the River Plate on 1813-03-23, and on 4 June the General Assembly...
.