The Military Bishopric of Bolivia 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 Bolivian Armed Forces

Military of Bolivia

- Army :The Bolivian Army has around 55,500 men. There are six military regions in the army. The Army is organized into ten divisions...

 and their families.

History

It was created as a military vicariate on 19 March 1961, with the first military vicar appointed on 26 July 1961. It was elevated to a military ordinariate on 21 July 1986. The military ordinary

Ordinary

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...

's 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 Our Lady of Luján (Catedral Nuestra Señora de Luján) in the Irpavi district of the city of La Paz

La Paz

Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...

.

Military vicars

• Luis Aníbal Rodríguez Pardo (appointed 26 July 1961 – translated
  Translation (ecclesiastical)
  Translation is the technical term when a Bishop is transferred from one diocese to another.This can be* From Suffragan Bishop status to Diocesan Bishop*From Coadjutor bishop to Diocesan Bishop*From one country's Episcopate to another...
  
   to the Archdiocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra
  Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra
  The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Bolivia...
  
   30 July 1975)
• René Fernández Apaza
  René Fernández Apaza
  René Fernández Apaza is a Bolivian Prelate of Roman Catholic Church.René Fernández Apaza was born in Padilla, Bolivia ordained a priest on November 28, 1948. Apaza was appointed bishop to the Diocese of Oruro on March 2, 1968 and ordained bishop April 21, 1968...
  
   (appointed 30 July 1975 – became military ordinary 21 July 1986)

Military ordinaries

• René Fernández Apaza
  René Fernández Apaza
  René Fernández Apaza is a Bolivian Prelate of Roman Catholic Church.René Fernández Apaza was born in Padilla, Bolivia ordained a priest on November 28, 1948. Apaza was appointed bishop to the Diocese of Oruro on March 2, 1968 and ordained bishop April 21, 1968...
  
   (appointed 21 July 1986– resigned 17 May 1986)
• Mario Lezana Vaca (appointed 17 May 1986 -retired 14 April 2000)
• Gonzalo de Jesús María del Castillo Crespo, O.C.D.
  Discalced Carmelites
  The Discalced Carmelites, or Barefoot Carmelites, is a Catholic mendicant order with roots in the eremitic tradition of the Desert Fathers and Mothers...
  
  (current incumbent, appointed 14 April 2000)