The Roman Catholic Church in Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...

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...

 and 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

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

.

Catholicism was introduced in the 1530s, and the first diocese was established in 1552. Evangelization among the Indians bore much fruit from the mid-18th to early 19th century, resuming again in 1840. The country declared independence from Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 in 1825. Relations between Church and state are guided by a concordat

Concordat

A concordat is an agreement between the Holy See of the Catholic Church and a sovereign state on religious matters. Legally, they are international treaties. They often includes both recognition and privileges for the Catholic Church in a particular country...

 signed with 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...

 in 1951. Today, Bolivia is a predominantly Catholic country and Catholicism is the state religion. There about seven million Catholics out of a total population of nine million.

Organization

There are seventeen territorial jurisdictions in the country—four archdiocese, six dioceses, and five apostolic vicariate

Apostolic vicariate

An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...

s and two Territorial Prelatures:

• Archdiocese of Cochabamaba
  • Diocese of Oruro
    Roman Catholic Diocese of Oruro
    The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oruro is a diocese located in the city of Oruro in the Ecclesiastical province of Cochabamba in Bolivia.-History:* November 11, 1924: Established as Diocese of Oruro from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of La Plata-Leadership:...
    
    
  • Territorial Prelature of Aiquile
    Territorial Prelature of Aiquile
    The Territorial Prelature of Aiquile is a territorial prelature located in the city of Aiquile in the Ecclesiastical province of Cochabamba in Bolivia.-History:...
    
    
• Archdiocese of La Paz
  Roman Catholic Archdiocese of La Paz
  The 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...
  
  
  • Diocese of Coroico
    Roman Catholic Diocese of Coroico
    The Roman Catholic Diocese of Coroico is a diocese located in the city of Coroico in the Ecclesiastical province of La Paz in Bolivia.-History:* November 7, 1958: Established as Territorial Prelature of Coroico from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of La Paz...
    
    
  • Diocese of El Alto
    Roman Catholic Diocese of El Alto
    The Roman Catholic Diocese of El Alto is a diocese located in the city of El Alto in the Ecclesiastical province of La Paz in Bolivia.-History:* June 25, 1994: Established as Diocese of El Alto from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of La Paz-Leadership:...
    
    
  • Territorial Prelature of Corocoro
    Territorial Prelature of Corocoro
    The Territorial Prelature of Corocoro is a territorial prelature located in the city of Corocoro in the Ecclesiastical province of La Paz in Bolivia.-History:...
    
    
• 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...
  
  
  • Diocese of San Ignacio de Velasco
    Roman Catholic Diocese of San Ignacio de Velasco
    The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Ignacio de Velasco is a diocese located in the city of San Ignacio de Velasco in the Ecclesiastical province of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia.-History:...
    
    
• Archdiocese of Sucre
  Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sucre
  The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sucre is an archdiocese located in the city of Sucre in Bolivia.-History:* June 27, 1552: Established as Diocese of La Plata from the Diocese of Cusco in Peru* 1609: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of La Plata...
  
  
  • Diocese of Potosí
    Roman Catholic Diocese of Potosí
    The Roman Catholic Diocese of Potosí is a diocese located in the city of Potosí in the Ecclesiastical province of Sucre in Bolivia.-History:* November 11, 1924: Established as Diocese of Potosífrom the Metropolitan Archdiocese of La Plata-Leadership:...
    
    
  • Diocese of Tarija
    Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarija
    The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarija is a diocese located in the city of Tarija in the Ecclesiastical province of Sucre in Bolivia.-History:* November 11, 1924: Established as Diocese of Tarija from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of La Plata-Leadership:...
    
    
• Apostolic Vicariates
  • Camiri
  • El Beni
  • Ñuflo de Chávez
  • Pando
  • Reyes