Mexico—3

This blog will cover six ecclesiastical provinces in southern Mexico.

Province of Antequera (Oaxaca)

The province consists of the State of Oaxaca.  The Diocese of Antequera de Oaxaca was created in 1535 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Antequera de Oaxaca in 1891.

Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral in Oaxaca was built between 1535 and 1733 in Baroque and Neoclassical styles.  The façade is made of green cantera stone common to the area.  Parts of the pipe organ date to the early 18th Century.  The Cathedral features a bronze statue of Our Lady of the Assumption made in Italy.

From Pinterest and Wikipedia.

The Province has five suffragan jurisdictions.

• The Diocese of Tehuantepec was established in 1891.
• The Diocese of Tuxtepec was established in 1979.
• The Diocese of Puerto Escondido was established in 2003.
• The Territorial Prelature of Mixes was established in 1964.
• The Territorial Prelature of Huautla was established in 1972.

Province of Puebla de los Angeles

The province consists of the States of Puebla, Tlaxcala, and part of Veracruz.  The Diocese of Puebla-Tlaxcala was founded in 1525 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Puebla de los Angeles in 1903.

The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Puebla was constructed between 1575 and 1690.  The façade is made of black limestone and the two towers are the tallest church towers in Mexico.  The interior has 14 chapels and many paintings and sculptures.  Pope Pius X named the Cathedral a minor basilica in 1904.

The first picture is from Snipview and the others are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Huajuapan de Leon was created in 1902.
• The Diocese of Tlaxcala was established in 1525 and suppressed in 1543.  It was restored in 1959.
• The Diocese of Tehuacan was established in 1962.

Province of Yucatan

The province consists of the civil States of Yucatan, Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Tabasco.  The Diocese of Yucatan was established in 1518, suppressed in 1525, and restored in 1561.  It was promoted to a Metropolitan archdiocese in 1906.

The stone Cathedral of St. Ildefonso of Toledo in Merida was built in the late 16th Century in the Renaissance style with Moorish influences.  It was the first cathedral to be built on the American mainland and was built on the site of Mayan ruins.  The façade has statues of St. Peter and St. Paul.

The first picture is from Flickr and the others are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan jurisdictions.

• The Diocese of Tabasco was created in 1880.
• The Diocese of Campeche was created in 1895.
• The Territorial Prelature of Cancun-Chetumal was created in 1970.

Province of Jalapa

The province consists of most of the State of Veracruz.  The Diocese of Veracruz-Jalapa was created in 1863 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1951.  It was renamed as the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Jalapa in 1962.  The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Jalapa was built in 1641, but was substantially rebuilt in a Baroque style in 1771.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has seven suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Papantla was established in 1922.
• The Diocese of San Andres Tuxtla established in 1959.
• The Diocese of Tuxpan was established in 1962.
• The Diocese of Veracruz established in 1962.
• The Diocese of Coatzacoalcos was created in 1984.
• The Diocese of Cordoba was established in 2000.
• The Diocese of Orizaba was created in 2000.

Province of Acapulco

The province consists of the State of Guerrero.  The Diocese of Acapulco was established in 1958 and was promoted to a metropolitan archdiocese in 1983.

Our Lady of Solitude Cathedral in Acapulco was completed in the 1950s and combines neo-colonial, Moorish, and Byzantine styles.  The interior features gold tiles and mosaics.

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

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Chilapa was created in 1863 and was renamed Chilpancingo-Chilapa in 1989.
• The Diocese of Ciudad Altamirano was created in 1964.
• The Diocese of Tlapa was created in 1992.

Province of Tuxtla Gutierrez

The province consists of the State of Chiapas.  The Diocese of Tuxtla Gutierrez was created in 1964 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 2006.

St. Mark’s Cathedral in Tuxtla Gutierrez was once a chapel for a Dominican convent.  The bell tower has 48 bells made in the Netherlands.

From Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of San Cristobal de las Casas was created in 1539 and acquired its current name in 1964.
• The Diocese of Tapachula was created in 1957.

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 a territorial prelature which is a missionary territory below the level of a diocese.

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.