Roman Catholic Diocese of Comayagua

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Comayagua is a Latin suffragan bishopric in the ecclesiastical province (covering all Honduras) of the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa. The present diocese, erected 13 March 1963, revives a larger colonial bishopric.

Diocese of Comayagua

Dioecesis Comayaguensis

Diócesis de Comayagua
Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción
Location
Country Honduras
Ecclesiastical provinceProvince of Tegucigalpa
MetropolitanOscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, S.D.B.
Statistics
Area7,527 km2 (2,906 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics (including non-members)		(as of 2006)
689,725
642,254 (93.1%)
Parishes29
Information
DenominationRoman Catholic
RiteRoman Rite
Established13 March 1963 (57 years ago)
CathedralCathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopRobert Camilleri Azzopardi, O.F.M.
Metropolitan ArchbishopOscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga
Bishops emeritusGeraldo Scarpone Caporale, O.F.M.
Map

Its present cathedral episcopal see is the Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción, devoted to the Immaculate Concepcion, in Comayagua, which city also has the former cathedral: Iglesia de La Merced Iglesia de La Merced, devoted to Our Lady of Mercy.

History

In 1561, the first bishopric was established as Diocese of Comayagua, on territory split off from the then Roman Catholic Diocese of Trujillo (founded as diocese of Honduras), and in 1571 gained its mother bishopric's remaining territory at its suppression (Trujillo would however be restored in 1987).

Like many missionary dioceses, it had mainly regular priests as Ordinaries, who generally died in office or were transferred/promoted within the vast Spanish colonial empire.

On 1916.02.02 it was suppressed, its territory being divided to establish the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa (its Metropolitan still, in the national capital), the then Apostolic Vicariate of San Pedro Sula and the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Copán.

It was restored on 1963.03.13, as Diocese of Comayagua, on much smaller territory (7,527 km²) split off from its Metropolitan, the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa.

Statistics

As per 2014, it has a population of 635,586 Catholics (93.3% of 681,546 total), pastorally served in 32 parishes by 56 priests (46 diocesan, 10 religious), 102 lay religious (33 brothers, 69 sisters) and 30 seminarians.

Ordinaries

Bishops of Comayagua (1531–1916)
  1. Alfonso de Talavera, OSH (1531–1540)[1]
  2. Cristóbal de Pedraza (1539–1553)[1][2]
  3. Jerónimo de Corella, OSH (1556–1575)[1]
  4. Alfonso de la Cerda, OP (1578–1587),[1] appointed Bishop of La Plata o Charcas
  5. Gaspar de Andrada, OFM (1587–1612)[1]
  6. Alfonso del Galdo, OP (1612–1628)
  7. Luis de Cañizares, OFM (1628–1645)
  8. Juan Merlo de la Fuente (1650–1656)
  9. Martín de Espinosa y Monzón (1672–1676)
  10. Ildefonso Vargas y Abarca, OSA (1678–1699)
  11. Pedro Reyes de los Ríos de Lamadrid, OSB (1699–1700), appointed Bishop of Yucatán (Mérida)
  12. Juan Pérez Carpintero, OPraem (1701–1724)
  13. Antonio López Portillo de Guadalupe, OFM (1725–1742)
  14. Francisco de Molina, OSBas (1743–1749)
  15. Diego Rodríguez de Rivas y Velasco (1751–1762), appointed Bishop of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
  16. Isidro Rodríguez Lorenzo, OSBas (1764–1767), appointed Archbishop of Santo Domingo
  17. Antonio Macarulla Minguilla de Aguilain (1767–1772), appointed Bishop of Durango
  18. Francisco José de Palencia (1773–1775)
  19. Francisco Antonio Iglesia Cajiga, OSH (1777–1783), appointed Bishop of Michoacán
  20. José Antonio de Isabela (1785–1785)
  21. Fernando Cardiñanos, OFM (1788–1794)
  22. Vicente Navas, OP (1795–1809)
  23. Manuel Julián Rodríguez del Barranco (1817–1819)
  24. Francisco de Paula Campo y Pérez (1844–1853)
  25. Hipólito Casiano Flórez (1854–1857)
  26. Juan Félix de Jesús Zepeda (1861–1885)
  27. Manuel Francisco Vélez (1887–1901)
  28. José María Martínez y Cabañas (1902 – 2 February 1916), appointed Archbishop of Tegucigalpa

Bishops of Comayagua (1963–present)
  1. Bernardino N. Mazzarella, OFM (13 March 1963 – 30 May 1979)
  2. Geraldo Scarpone Caporale, OFM (30 May 1979 – 21 May 2004)
  3. Robert Camilleri Azzopardi, OFM (21 May 2004 – present)

Coadjutor bishop

See also
  • GCatholic, with Google map & satellite photo - data for all sections
  • "Diocese of Comayagua". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
Specific
  1. HIERARCHIA CATHOLICA MEDII ET RECENTIORIS AEVI Vol III. p. 173.
  2. "Bishop Cristóbal de Pedraza" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved March 25, 2016

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