Colombia-2

This blog covers seven ecclesiastic provinces in central and southern Colombia.

Province of Bogota

The province consists of the Capital District and part of the civil department of Cundinamarca.  The Diocese of Santafe en Neuva Granada was established in 1562 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1564.  It was renamed Bogota in 1898.

The neo-classical Primatial Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Bogota was built between 1807 and 1823 and covers 57,000 square feet.  The Cathedral has a dozen chapels and was declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius X in 1907.  See cathedral.arquibogota.org.co.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has six suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Zipaquira was created in 1951.
• The Diocese of Girardot was created in 1956.
• The Diocese of Facatativa was created in 1962.
• The Diocese of Engativa was created in 2003.
• The Diocese of Fontibon was created in 2003.
• The Diocese of Soacha was created in 2003.

Province of Popayan

The province consists of the civil department of Narino and part of Cauca.  The Diocese of Popayan was created in 1546 and it was promoted to a metropolitan archdiocese in 1900.

The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Popayan was built in a neoclassical colonial style in 1558.  It was rebuilt after earthquakes in 1736 and 1983.  Pope Pius XII designated the cathedral as a minor basilica in 1953.

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

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Pasto was created in 1859.
• The Diocese of Ipiales was created in 1964.
• The Diocese of Tumaco began as an apostolic prefecture in 1927, became an apostolic vicariate in 1961, and a diocese in 1999.

Province of Manizales

The province consists of the civil departments of Caldas, Risaralda, and Quindio, and part of Cundinamarca.  The Diocese of Manizales was created in 1900 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1954.

The neo-classical Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Manizales is the tallest in Colombia with its central tower rising over 300 feet.  The Cathedral opened in 1939 and can hold 5,000 people.  Pope Pius XII designated the cathedral as a minor basilica in 1951.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Armenia was created in 1952.
• The Diocese of Pereira was created in 1952.
• The Diocese of La Dorada-Guaduas was created in 1984.

Province of Cali

The province consists of the civil department of Valle del Cauca and part of Cauca.  The Diocese of Cali was established in 1910 and was promoted to a metropolitan archdiocese in 1964.

The baroque Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Cali was built using prison labor between 1772 and 1825.  The towers were added in 1869.  The façade was damaged by a 1925 earthquake, but has been restored.  The Cathedral’s large and expressive crucifix was made in Seville, Spain, and the Stations of the Cross were made in France in the 1940s.  The pipe organ was made in Germany and is one of the largest in Latin America.

The top picture is from Colombia.com and the other two are from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Palmira was created in 1952.
• The Diocese of Cartago was created in 1962.
• The Diocese of Buga was created in 1966.
• The Diocese of Buenaventura was created as an apostolic vicariate in 1952 and became a diocese in 1996.

Province of Ibague

The province consists of the civil departments of Huila and Tolima.  The Diocese of Ibague was created in 1900 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1974.  The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is in Ibague.

The first picture is from the Archdiocesan website, the second is from Pinterest, and the last is from TripAdvisor.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Garzon was created in 1900.
• The Diocese of Espinal was created in 1957.
• The Diocese of Neiva was created in 1894, suppressed in 1900, before being restored as a diocese in 1972.
• The Diocese of Libano-Honda was created in 1989.

Province of Villavicencio

The province consists of the civil department of Guaviare and part of Meta.  Villavicencio began as a territorial prelature in 1903, became an apostolic vicariate in 1908, a diocese in 1964, and a metropolitan archdiocese in 2004.  Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Villavicencio was built in 1894 after a fire destroyed an earlier church.

Picture is from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Granada was created as an apostolic prefecture in 1964, became an apostolic vicariate in 1987, and a diocese in 1999.
• The Diocese of San Jose del Guaviare was created as an apostolic vicariate in 1989 and became a diocese in 1999.

Province of Florencia

The province consists of the civil department of Caqueta and part of Putumayo.  The Apostolic Vicariate of Florencia was established in 1951.  It was promoted to a diocese in 1985 and to a metropolitan archdiocese in 2019.

The Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes in Florencia was built between 1932 and 1937.  The Cathedral can seat 600 people and has a grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes that was imported from Italy.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

• The Diocese of Mocoa-Sibundoy was created as an apostolic vicariate in 1951 and became a diocese in 1999.
• The Diocese of San Vincente del Caguan was created as an apostolic vicariate in 1985 and became a diocese in 2019.

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, apostolic vicariates, and apostolic prefectures.  All are missionary territories 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.