Mexico—2

This blog will cover seven ecclesiastical provinces in central Mexico.

Province of Mexico City

The province consists of the Federal District and part of the State of Mexico.  The Diocese of Mexico City was created in 1530 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mexico City in 1546.

The Cathedral of the Assumption in Mexico City was built between 1573 and 1813 on the site of a Mayan temple and in a mixture of styles—Renaissance, Baroque, and Neo-classical.  The Cathedral has two bell towers containing a total of 25 bells, the largest weighing 15 tons.  The Cathedral covers more than 64,000 square feet, not counting a separate building for the Tabernacle.  There are sixteen chapels, each assigned to a religious organization, and each dedicated to a saint.  One of the chapels contains the tomb of the Venerable Antonio Margil (1657-1726), a Spanish Franciscan priest, who evangelized in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Texas.  The Cathedral has two large 18th Century pipe organs.  See catedralmetropolitanademexico.mx.

The first seven pictures are from the cathedral website, the eighth picture is from Flickr, and the others are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Azcapotzalco was established in 2019.
• The Diocese of Iztapalapa was established in 2019.
• The Diocese of Xochimilco was established in 2019.

Province of Guadalajara

The province consists of the States of Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Colima, and Nayarit.  The Diocese of Guadalajara was established in 1548 and was promoted to a metropolitan archdiocese in 1863.

The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Guadalajara was built between 1561 and 1618.  It covers over 60,000 square feet and has been damaged by earthquakes more than half a dozen times.  The Cathedral has Gothic twin yellow towers and a neo-Gothic façade.  The main altar is made of marble and silver and the Stations of the Cross were imported from France.  The Cathedral features an ivory statue of Christ, oil paintings by Mexican artists, and a sculpture of the Virgin Mary donated by Emperor Charles V.  The French pipe organ is the second largest in Mexico.  Pope Pius XI designated the Cathedral as a minor basilica in 1938.

The first two pictures are from Expedia, the third from Pinterest, and the last two from Wikipedia.

The Province has seven suffragan jurisdictions.

• The Diocese of Colima was created in 1881.
• The Diocese of Tepic was created in 1891.
• The Diocese of Aguascalientes was created in 1899.
• The Diocese of Autlan was created in 1961.
• The Diocese of San Juan de los Lagos was created in 1972.
• The Diocese of Ciudad Guzman was created in 1972.
• The Territorial Prelature of Jesus Maria (del Nayar) was created in 1962.

Province of Morelia

The province consists of the State of Michoacan.  The Diocese of Michoacan was created in 1536 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1863.  It became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Morelia in 1924.

The Cathedral of the Divine Savior in Morelia was built between 1660 and 1744 using pink stone in both baroque and neoclassical styles.  The two bell towers are over 200 feet tall and the German pipe organ has 4,600 pipes.  A crucifix is made of pasta de cana (a paste made from the heart of the cornstalk) and has a gold crown donated by a Spanish king.  Some consider this Cathedral to be the most beautiful Mexican cathedral.

The first two pictures are from Wikipedia and the third is from Flickr.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Zamora was established in 1863.
• The Diocese of Tacambaro was created in 1913.
• The Diocese of Apatzingan was created in 1962.
• The Diocese of Ciudad Lazaro Cardenas was established in 1985.

Province of Tlalnepantla

The province consists of most of the State of Mexico.  The Diocese of Tlalnepantla was created in 1964 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1989.  Corpus Christi Cathedral in Tlalnepantla was originally built in the 16th Century, but has been renovated due to 17th Century fire and a 20th Century earthquake.  See tierradeenmedio.org.mx/arquidiocesis/cathedral.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has seven suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Texcoco was created in 1960.
• The Diocese of Cuautitlan was created in 1979.
• The Diocese of Netzahualcoyotl was created in 1979.
• The Diocese of Ecatepec was created in 1995.
• The Diocese of Valle de Chalco was created in 2003.
• The Diocese of Teotihuacan was created in 2008.
• The Diocese of Izcalli was created in 2014.

Province of Leon

The province consists of the States of Guanajuato and Queretaro.  The Diocese of Leon was created in 1863 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Leon in 2006.

Construction of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Light in Leon was begun in 1764 by Jesuits, but was stopped when the Jesuits were expelled from Mexico in 1767.  Construction was resumed after the Diocese was created in 1863 and was completed in 1866.  Pope Benedict XV designated the cathedral as a minor basilica in 1920.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Queretaro was established in 1863.
• The Diocese of Celaya was established in 1973.
• The Diocese of Irapuato was established in 2004.

Province of Tulancingo

The province consists of the State of Hidalgo.  The Diocese of Tulancingo was established in 1863 and was promoted to a Metropolitan archdiocese in 2006.

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Tulancingo was built by the Franciscans beginning in 1528 in a colonial style.  Later renovations were done in a neoclassical style.

The first picture is from Pinterest and the other two are from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Huejutla was created in 1922.
• The Diocese of Tula was created in 1961.

Province of Toluca

The province consists of the State of Morelos and part of the State of Mexico.  The Diocese of Toluca was created in 1950 and it became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toluca in 2019.

Construction of the Cathedral of St. Joseph of Nazareth in Toluca began in 1867 but was not completed until the second half of the 20th Century.  The Neoclassical façade has statues of Saints John, Thomas, Peter, and James.  The Cathedral also has a relief depicting the Ascension of Jesus.

Pictures are from Expedia, Pinterest, and Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Cuernavaca was established in 1891.
• The Diocese of Atlacomulco was created in 1984.
• The Diocese of Tenancingo was created in 2009.

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.  There are also jurisdictions below the level of a diocese.  These include territorial prelatures which are missionary dioceses.

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.