Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chihuahua
Encyclopedia
| Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chihuahua | |
| Archidioecesis Chihuahuensis | |
| colspan="2" style="background:#F7D79C;" Basic information | |
|---|---|
| colspan="2" style="background:#F7D79C;" Current leadership | |
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chihuahuahttp://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dchih.html is a 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...
of the Latin Rite 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...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Early history
Erected in 1891 from the Diocese of Durango, the diocese consisted of the State of Chihuahua in its entirety. The Durango Diocese had been erected in 1620 as the diocese for the entire northern area of New SpainNew Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
and is considered a mother diocese-Sonorahttp://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dherm.html, St Louishttp://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dstlo.html, New Mexicohttp://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dn013.htmlhttp://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dsnfe.html and Chihuahua were formed from Durango as population expanded in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Anti-clericalism
Because of the laws promulgated by the liberal government of President Benito JuárezBenito Juárez
Benito Juárez born Benito Pablo Juárez García, was a Mexican lawyer and politician of Zapotec origin from Oaxaca who served five terms as president of Mexico: 1858–1861 as interim, 1861–1865, 1865–1867, 1867–1871 and 1871–1872...
, the Constitution of 1857 and the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
, which, taken together, had the effect of disenfranchising the Catholic clergy and large swaths of Catholic laity, studying for the priesthood became a difficult proposition for candidates in Chihuahua, and, indeed, in all of Mexico. Many of Chihuahuas priests were trained at the seminaries in El Paso, TX, Santa Fe, NM, and Phoenix, AZ. One of them, Fr Pedro Maldonado was ordained in the El Paso cathedral in 1918, martyred in 1937, and canonised by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in 2000 http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/homilies/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_20000521_canonizations_en.html.
Demographics
The diocese was elevated to the level of Archdiocese on 22 November, 1958 by Bl. Pope John XXIIIPope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/broncalli.html, and now is the metropolitan of the following suffragan diocese
Suffragan Diocese
A suffragan diocese is a diocese in the Catholic Church that is overseen not only by its own diocesan bishop but also by a metropolitan bishop. The metropolitan is always an archbishop who governs his own archdiocese...
s within the Ecclesiastical Province
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
of Chihuahua: Ciudad Juárez
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ciudad Juárez
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ciudad Juárez is located in the northern Mexican city of the same name, across the Río Grande from El Paso, Texas...
, Cuauhtémoc-Madera
Roman Catholic Diocese of Cuauhtémoc-Madera
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cuauhtémoc-Madera is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Chihuahua. It was erected as the Territorial Prelature of Madera in 1966. Its name was changed when it was elevated in 1995.-Ordinaries:...
, Nuevo Casas Grandes
Roman Catholic Diocese of Nuevo Casas Grandes
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nuevo Casas Grandes is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Chihuahua, in Mexico. It was created as a territorial prelature in 1977 and elevated in 2000. It has an area of 36,320, a population of 149,000, a Catholic population of 130,000, 37 priests, and 45...
, Parral
Roman Catholic Diocese of Parral
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Parral is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Chihuahua, in Mexico. It was erected in 1992.-Episcopal See:*Parral,...
and Tarahumara
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarahumara
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarahumara is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Chihuahua. It was erected as a mission sui juris in 1950 and was elevated, first to a vicariate apostolic in 1958, then to a diocese in 1993.-Ordinaries:...
. All of these suffragan dioceses were formed from Chihuahua, and are located within the physical boundaries of the State of Chihuahua.
The archdiocese encompasses 73,956 square kilometers in the center of the state, and as of 2006, contained 1,176,000 Catholics, 59 parishes, 131 priests and 10 permanent deacons. The archepiscopal see is the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Our Lady of Regla, and St Francis of Assisi
Cathedral of Chihuahua
The Metropolitan Cathedral Church of the Holy Cross, Our Lady of Regla, and St Francis of Assisi is the main ecclesiastical building of the Catholic Church in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico. It is considered perhaps the finest example of colonial architecture in northern Mexico and dates from 1725....
.
The Most Reverend Constancio Miranda Weckmannhttp://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bmiranda.html was named by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bratz.html as archbishop on 29 September, 2009, and installed on 19 November, 2009, succeeding the Most Reverend José Fernández Arteagahttp://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bfernar.html, who had retired. Fernández had been appointed archbishop by Bl. Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bwojtyla.html in 1992; his predecessor, Don
Don (honorific)
Don, from Latin dominus, is an honorific in Spanish , Portuguese , and Italian . The female equivalent is Doña , Dona , and Donna , abbreviated "Dª" or simply "D."-Usage:...
Adalberto Almeida y Merino
Adalberto Almeida y Merino
Adalberto Almeida y Merino was a Mexican prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Bishop of Tulancingo, 1956–1962; Bishop of Zacatecas, 1962–1969 and Archbishop of Chihuahua, 1969 - 1991.-Early life:He was born on June 6, 1916 in the village of Bachíniva, Chihuahua, the son of Luis...
http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/balmeida.html, passed from this life on 21 June 2008, at the age of 92 at his home in Colonia Nombre de Dios, Chihuahua.
Ordinaries
- José de Jesús Ortíz y Rodríguezhttp://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bortizj.html(10 Jun 1893 Appointed – 16 Sep 1901 Appointed, Archbishop of Guadalajara, Jalisco)†
- Nicolás Pérez Gavilán y Echeverríahttp://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bperezga.html(20 Feb 1902 Appointed – 3 Dec 1919 Died)†
- Antonio Guízar y ValenciaAdalberto Almeida y MerinoAdalberto Almeida y Merino was a Mexican prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Bishop of Tulancingo, 1956–1962; Bishop of Zacatecas, 1962–1969 and Archbishop of Chihuahua, 1969 - 1991.-Early life:He was born on June 6, 1916 in the village of Bachíniva, Chihuahua, the son of Luis...
http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bguizary.html (20 Jul 1920 Appointed – 24 Aug 1969 Retired)† + - Adalberto Almeida y MerinoAdalberto Almeida y MerinoAdalberto Almeida y Merino was a Mexican prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Bishop of Tulancingo, 1956–1962; Bishop of Zacatecas, 1962–1969 and Archbishop of Chihuahua, 1969 - 1991.-Early life:He was born on June 6, 1916 in the village of Bachíniva, Chihuahua, the son of Luis...
http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/balmeida.html (24 Aug 1969 Appointed – 24 Jun 1991 Retired)† - José Fernández Arteagahttp://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bfernar.html (24 Jun 1991 Appointed – 28 September 2009 Retired)
- Constancio Miranda Weckmannhttp://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bmiranda.html(28 September 2009 Appointed – )
†-Deceased
+ Mons. Guízar was the younger brother of St Rafael Guízar Valenciahttp://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bguizarv.html.
VIS news release
The text of the Vatican Information Service news release regarding the appointment of Archbishop Miranda, dated 29 September 2009, reads as follows:OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, 29 SEP 2009 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Constancio Miranda Weckmann of Atlacomulco, Mexico, as metropolitan archbishop of Chihuahua (area 73,956, population 1,351,777, Catholics 1,205,174, priests 136, permanent deacons 10, religious 226), Mexico. The archbishop-elect was born in Las Cruces, Mexico in 1952, he was ordained a priest in 1977 and consecrated a bishop in 1998. He succeeds Archbishop Jose Fernandez Arteaga, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.http://212.77.1.245/news_services/bulletin/news/24405.php?index=24405&po_date=29.09.2009&lang=en
NER:RE/.../MIRANDA:FERNANDEZVIS 090929 (90)