The Apostolic Vicariate (or Vicariate Apostolic) of Méndez ( la, Apostolicus Vicariatus Mendezensis) is a missionary circonscription of the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
.
Its cathedral see, Catedral Purísima de Macas, is located in the city of
Macas in
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
's
Morona-Santiago
Morona Santiago () is a province in Ecuador. The province was established on February 24, 1954. The capital is Macas.
Economy
The provincial economy is industrially unexploited to its potential due to poor means of transportation. Its economy ...
province. It is exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See, not part of any ecclesiastical province.
History
On 17 February 1893
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...
established the
Vicariate Apostolic of Méndez y Gualaquiza from the
Vicariate Apostolic of Napo
The Apostolic Vicariate (Vicariate Apostolic) of Napo ( la, Apostolicus Vicariatus Napensis) is a missionary circonscription (quasi-diocese) of the Roman Catholic Church. Its cathedral see, Catedral San José, is located in the city of Tena, capit ...
.
Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
shortened its name to the Vicariate Apostolic of Méndez on 12 April 1951.
Bishops
Incumbent Ordinaries
So far, all its apostolic vicars were members of the missionary
Salesians
, image = File:Stemma big.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
, abbreviation = SDB
, formation =
, founder = John Bosco
, founding_location = Valdocco, Turin ...
order (S.D.B.)
;Apostolic vicars of Méndez y Gualaquiza
* Santiago (Giacomo) Costamagna,
S.D.B. † 1921 (18 March 1895 – 1919)
* Domenico Comin, S.D.B. (1920.03.05 – 1951.04.12 ''cfr. infra
;Apostolic vicars of Méndez
* Domenico Comin, S.D.B. (''cfr. supra''; 1951.04.12 – 1963.08.17)
* José Félix Pintado Blasco, S.D.B. † (17 Aug. 1963 – 24 Jan. 1981)
* Teodoro Luis Arroyo Robelly, S.D.B. † (24 Jan. 1981 – 1 July 1993)
* Pietro Gabrielli, S.D.B. (1 July 1993 – 15 April 2008)
* Néstor Montesdeoca Becerra, S.D.B. (15 Apr 2008 – present)
Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic
* José Félix Pintado Blasco, S.D.B. † (13 Nov 1958 - 17 Aug. 1963)
See also
*
Roman Catholicism in Ecuador
The Catholic Church in Ecuador comprises only a Latin hierarchy, united in a national episcopal conference, which comprises:
* four ecclesiastical provinces, each province is headed by the Metropolitanan archbishop of an archdiocese, and a total of ...
References
Apostolic vicariates
Roman Catholic dioceses in Ecuador
Religious organizations established in 1893
1893 establishments in South America
{{Ecuador-RC-diocese-stub