The Military Bishopric of Argentina is a military ordinariate

Military ordinariate

A military ordinariate is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church, of Latin or Eastern Rite, responsible for the pastoral care of Catholics serving in the armed forces of a nation....

 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...

. Immediately subject to the Holy See

Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

, it provides pastoral care

Pastoral care

Pastoral care is the ministry of care and counseling provided by pastors, chaplains and other religious leaders to members of their church or congregation, or to persons of all faiths and none within institutional settings. This can range anywhere from home visitation to formal counseling provided...

 to Roman Catholics serving in the Armed Forces, National Gendarmerie and Naval Prefecture

Argentine Naval Prefecture

The Argentine Naval Prefecture, in Spanish Prefectura Naval Argentina or PNA, is a service of the Argentine Interior Ministry charged with protecting the country's rivers and maritime territory...

 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...

.

It was created as a military vicariate on 8 July 1957, and elevated to a military ordinariate on 21 July 1986. Its patron saint

Patron saint

A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...

 is Our Lady of Luján

Our Lady of Luján

Our Lady of Luján is a celebrated 16th-century icon of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. The image, also known as the Virgin of Luján represents a famous Marian advocation. The image still exists; it is on display in the Basilica of Luján in Argentina...

 and the Episcopal seat

Cathedra

A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...

 is located at the Cathedral of the Star of the Sea (Catedral Stella Maris) in 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...

, Argentina.

Military vicars

• Fermín Emilio Lafitte (appointed 1957 – resigned 1959)
• Antonio Caggiano (appointed 14 December 1959 – retired 7 July 1975)
• Adolfo Servando Tortolo (appointed 7 July 1975 – retired 30 March 1982)
• José Miguel Medina (appointed 30 March 1982 – became Mililtary Ordinary 21 July 1986)

Military ordinaries

• José Miguel Medina (appointed 21 July 1986 – died 7 March 1990)
• Norberto Eugenio Conrado Martina, O.F.M.
  Franciscan
  Most 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....
  
   (appointed 8 November 1990 – died 28 August 2001)
• Antonio Juan Baseotto, C.Ss.R.
  Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
  The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer is a Roman Catholic missionary Congregation founded by Saint Alphonsus Liguori at Scala, near Amalfi, Italy for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people in the neighbourhood of Naples.Members of the Congregation, priests and brothers,...
  
  (appointed 8 November 2002 – retired 15 May 2007)
• No military ordinaries appointed since 2007.