Spain—1

St. Paul and St. James brought the Catholic Faith to Spain in Apostolic times.  Spain was conquered by the Visigoths in 410—the Visigoths were Arians, an heretical sect.  Catholicism was restored in 589.  Spain later was largely conquered by the Moors, who were Muslims, between 711 and 714.  The Moors were eventually driven out of Spain in the 13th Century, except for the Kingdom of Grenada, which was not conquered until 1492.  Spanish missionaries brought the Catholic Faith to many nations, especially in the Americas and the Philippines.

Some of Spain’s dioceses were suppressed or did not have bishops at times due to the Visigoth and Muslim invasions.  More detail can be obtained about individual dioceses from Wikipedia articles about each Spanish diocese or through two of my favorite websites, gcatholic.org and catholic-hierarchy.org.

Spain has 49 million people and 69 percent are Catholic.  Atheist and agnostics account for 27 percent of the population.  There are 14 ecclesiastical provinces in Spain.  In addition there is a diocese for Spain’s armed forces, established in 1950; and a diocese for Spain’s Eastern-rite Catholics that was established in 2016 and is administered by the Archbishop of Madrid.

This blog covers seven ecclesiastical provinces in Northern Spain and one titular patriarchal see.

Titular Patriarchal See of the West Indies

Pope Clement VII created the title of Patriarch of the West Indies in 1524 and bishops—mostly Spanish—held the position for four centuries.  The position has been vacant since 1963.

Province of Tarragona

The province consists of most of the autonomous community of Catalonia, including the civil provinces of Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona, as well as most of the civil province of Barcelona.  The Diocese of Tarragona was established in the 1st Century and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 470.  It was suppressed in 711, became an archdiocese in 956, and again became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tarragona in 1091.

St. Mary’s Cathedral in Tarragona occupies a site previously occupied by a Roman temple, a former Cathedral, and a mosque.  The current Romanesque and Gothic cathedral was constructed in the late 12th and early 13th centuries.  The Cathedral has more than 20 chapels and has a 225-foot Gothic bell tower built in the 13th Century.  Pope Leo XIII designated the Cathedral as a minor basilica in 1894.  See catedraldetarragona.com.

The first two pictures are from the Cathedral website and the last two are from Wikipedia.

The Province has six suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Lerida was created in the 3rd Century and was suppressed in 887.  It was restored in 1149 and renamed the Diocese of Lleida in 1992.
• The Diocese of Girona was established around 400 and was renamed the Diocese of Girona in 1992.
• The Diocese of Tortosa was created in the 4th Century.
• The Diocese of Urgell was established in the 4th Century.  The Diocese of Urgell includes the independent nation of Andorra, located between Spain and France.  Between 1278 and 1993, Andorra was ruled by two “princes”—the head of state in France and the Bishop of Urgell.  Since 1993, Andorra has been a parliamentary democracy.  Almost all of Andorra’s 86,000 people are Catholic.
• The Diocese of Vic was created in the 5th Century, was suppressed in 713, and was restored in 886.
• The Diocese of Solsona was established in 1593.

Province of Santiago de Compostela

The province consists of the autonomous community of Galicia, including the civil provinces of A Coruna, Lugo, Ourense, and Pontevedra.  The Diocese of Santiago de Compostela was created in the 5th Century and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1120.

The Cathedral Basilica of Santiago de Compostela is dedicated to St. James the Apostle (the Greater) and is located in the city of Santiago de Compostela.  St. James brought the Faith to Spain around 40 AD.  He later returned to Jerusalem and was martyred in 44 AD.  Disciples brought he body back to northwestern Spain, but the tomb was abandoned due to Roman persecutions of the local Christians.  Legend has it that in 814, a hermit rediscovered the tomb after he noticed strange lights.  Soon a chapel was erected followed by a church.  The King of Leon erected a Romanesque church on the site in 899 and St. James’ tomb soon became a place of pilgrimage—it is the destination of the Camino de Santiago or Way of St. James.  Moorish invaders destroyed this church in 997, but the tomb was left undisturbed.  Construction of the current church began in 1075 and continued until 1211.  It was built in a Romanesque style, with Gothic and Baroque additions—it is the largest Romanesque church in Spain.  See catedraldesantiago.es/en for more information.

All the pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Lugo was established in the 2nd Century and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 569.  It was suppressed in 713 and restored in 745.  In 1071, it was demoted to a diocese.
• The Diocese of Orense was established in the 5th Century.
• The Diocese of Tui was established in 570, suppressed around 700, restored in 890, suppressed again in 1024, and restored again to a Diocese in 1069.  It was renamed Tui-Vigo in 1959.
• The Diocese of Mondonedo-Ferrol was created as the Diocese of San Martino de Mondonedo in 866.  It acquired its current name in 1959.

Province of Zaragoza

The province consists of the autonomous community of Aragon, including the civil provinces of Huesca, Teruel, and Zaragoza.  The Diocese of Zaragoza was established at least by 250, but may have been established by St. James the Apostle.  It became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Zaragoza in 1318.

The Cathedral of the Savior in Zaragoza is built on the site of an ancient Roman forum and of a mosque that dated perhaps to the 8th Century.   Construction of a Romanesque cathedral began in 1140 and continued well into the 1200s.  For 200 years, kings of Aragon were crowned in the Cathedral.  After it became a metropolitan cathedral in 1318, work began to expand and improve the Cathedral—work that would go on for 400 years.  The Cathedral was built in a combination of architectural styles, including Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Neo-classical, and Mudejar.  The Cathedral has over 20 chapels.

The first two pictures are from pinterest and the last two are from Wikipedia.

The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar is also in Zaragoza and serves as a co-cathedral.  According to tradition, St. James the Apostle came to Spain a few years after the death and resurrection of Jesus.  He was discouraged in his ability to bring the Gospel to the people until January 2, 40 AD, when the Mother of God appeared to him (and this was before her Assumption) and gave him a column of jasper and told him to build a church at this location.  James did so and dedicated the church to her, the first church in the world to be so dedicated.  James returned to Jerusalem where in 44 AD, he became the first apostle to be martyred.  The chapel was later destroyed, but the local people protected the pillar and a statue of Mary.  Over the centuries, the church has been visited by saints, including John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and Ignatius of Loyola. The current church was built between 1681 and 1872, although portions of the 15th Century Gothic church still exist.  The Cathedral was built in baroque, neoclassical, and rococo styles and has 11 cupolas and four towers.  There are also frescoes painted by Goya.  The Holy Chapel contains a wooden statue of Our Lady of the Pillar resting on top of the jasper column.  Pope Pius XII designated the church as a minor basilica in 1948.  The website is basilicadelpilar.es.

The first picture is from the Cathedral's website, the second is from Catholicism.org, the third from Flickr and the others from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Tarazona was established in 449.
• The Diocese of Huesca was established in 533.
• The Diocese of Barbastro was founded in 1101 and suppressed in 1149.  It was restored as the Diocese of Barbastro in 1571 and renamed Barbastro-Monzon in 1995.
• The Diocese of Teruel was established in 1577 and was renamed Teruel y Albarracin in 1984.

Province of Burgos

The province consists the northeastern portion of the autonomous community of Castile and Leon, including the civil provinces of Burgos, Palencia, and Soria; and the western and southern portions of the autonomous community of Basque Country, including the civil provinces of Alava and Biscay.  The Diocese of Burgos-Auca was established in 1075 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Burgos in 1574.

The French Gothic Cathedral of St. Mary in Burgos was built in the 13th Century, but greatly embellished in the 15th and 16th Centuries.  It has magnificent octagonal spires and arched framing and dozens of open stonework traceries.  There are also numerous works of art, including statues of the first eight kings of ancient Castile and hundreds of statues of saints and biblical people.  The Cathedral contains the burial site of El Cid and his wife.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Palencia was established in the 3rd Century.
• The Diocese of Osma was created around 600 and was renamed Osma-Soria in 1959.
• The Diocese of Vitoria was created in 1861.
• The Diocese of Bilbao was established in 1949.

Province of Oviedo

The province consists of the autonomous communities of Cantabria and the Principality of Asturias; as well as the civil province of Leon in the autonomous community of Castile and Leon.  The Diocese of Oviedo was created in 811 and it became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1954.

The Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Savior in Oviedo was built in a Gothic style, with elements of Romanesque, Baroque, and Renaissance.  Construction began in 1388 and was completed in 1517.  Its tower, completed in 1551, is topped with an octagonal pyramid, and is considered a marvel of Gothic architecture.  The Holy Chamber is a separate structure that pre-dates the Cathedral.  The Holy Chamber has two crucifixes that were symbols of the ancient Asturian monarchy.  It also contains the Agate Box made by disciples of the Apostles and containing relics from early Jerusalem.  The Cathedral was named a minor basilica by Pope Pius IX in 1872.  See catedraldeoviedo.com/en.

Top two pictures are from the Cathedral website and the bottom picture is from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Astorga was established in the 3rd Century, was suppressed in 713, and restored in 747.
• The Diocese of Leon was established in the 4th Century.
• The Diocese of Santander was established in 1754.

Province of Pamplona y Tudela

The province consists of the autonomous communities of Navarre and La Rioja, as well as the civil province of Gipuzkoa in the autonomous community of Basque Country.  The Diocese of Pamplona was established in the 5th Century and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1956.  It acquired its current name in 1984.

The Cathedral of Mary the Queen in Pamplona was built in the 15th Century in a Gothic style.  The neoclassical façade was added in the 18th Century.  Kings of Navarre were crowned in the Cathedral and some are buried there.  The Cathedral also has a 14th Century French Gothic cloister.  The museum contains silver reliquaries from the 13th and 14th Centuries.

First picture is from Expedia, the second is from Flickr, and the last two are from Wikipedia.

The Co-Cathedral of Our Lady of Solitude in Tudela was built in the 12th and 13th Centuries using Romanesque and Gothic styles.  The Cathedral has a 15th Century reredos featuring the lives of Jesus and Mary.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Calahorra was created in 463 and suppressed in 923.  It was restored in 1232 as the Diocese of Calahorra y La Calzada and was renamed the Diocese of Calahorra y La Calzada-Logrono in 1959.
• The Diocese of Jaca was created in 1063, suppressed in 1098, and restored in 1571.
• The Diocese of San Sebastian was established in 1949.

Province of Barcelona

The province consists of the area around Barcelona in the autonomous community of Catalonia.  The Diocese of Barcelona was created at least by 4th Century, and possibly by St. James the Apostle in the 1st Century.  The diocese was suppressed in 713 and restored in 850.  It became an archdiocese in 1964 and a metropolitan archdiocese in 2004.

The Gothic Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia in Barcelona was built between 1298 and 1417.  The Cathedral contains the tombs of three saints: Eulalia (an early Christian martyr), Olegarius (a 12th Century Bishop of Barcelona), and St. Raymond of Penyafort (a 13th Century Spanish Dominican).  A chapel contains a crucifix that was carried on a ship during the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.  Pope Leo IX designated the Cathedral as a minor basilica in 1867.  See catedralbcn.org/index.php?lang=en.

The first four pictures are from TB and the last four from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Sant Feliu de Llobregat was established in 2004.
• The Diocese of Terrassa was created in 2004.

Definitions

The Catholic Church is mostly divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese and one or more dioceses.  The province and the archdiocese are led by an archbishop.  Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led by a bishop.  Archbishops have some responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the Pope.

Most Catholics in the world belong to the Latin or Roman rite.  Rite refers to liturgical practices, ecclesiastical discipline, and spiritual heritage.  Many Catholics belong to one of two dozen Eastern rite churches.  Eastern rite churches trace their heritage to Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

A basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.  Some cathedrals are also basilicas.  Each basilica has a ceremonial umbrella in the papal colors of white and yellow and a ceremonial bell.  Both of these are symbolic of the Pope’s special relationship to the basilica.