The Military Ordinariate in El Salvador ( es, Ordinariato Militar en El Salvador) is a

Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...

ecclesiastical territory or

military ordinariate A military ordinariate is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church, of the Latin or an Eastern church, responsible for the pastoral care of Catholics serving in the armed forces of a nation. Until 1986, they were called "military v ...

of the

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 ...

with jurisdiction over Catholics serving in the

Armed Forces of El Salvador The Armed Forces of El Salvador ( es, Fuerza Armada de El Salvador) are the official governmental military forces of El Salvador. The Forces have three branches: the Salvadoran Army, the Salvadoran Air Force and the Navy of El Salvador. History ...

. While not a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

, the ordinary of the ordinariate is a

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

. The ordinariate is exempt directly to the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

and the Roman Congregation for Bishops. It is headquartered Calle Los Eucaliptos y Avda. Las Gardenias 157, Colonia Las Mercedes in

San Salvador San Salvador (; ) is the capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its eponymous department. It is the country's political, cultural, educational and financial center. The Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, which comprises the capital i ...

, the national capital of

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...

, in

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

History

It was established as a

Military vicariate A military ordinariate is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church, of the Latin or an Eastern church, responsible for the pastoral care of Catholics serving in the armed forces of a nation. Until 1986, they were called "military v ...

of El Salvador on 25 March 1968, with the first military vicar appointed on 4 November 1968. It was elevated to a military ordinariate on 21 July 1986. According to an online news brief from

Catholic News Service Catholic News Service (CNS) is an American news agency owned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) that reports on the Catholic Church. The agency's domestic service is set to shut down at the end of 2022, but its Rome bur ...

(CNS) posted on Tuesday, September 11, 2012, Bishop Abarca and former guerrilla commander

Raul Mijango Raul, Raúl and Raül are the Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan forms of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph. They are cognates of the French Raoul. Raul, Raúl or Raül may re ...

have mediated an often-doubted but so far successful cease-fire between El Salvador's two most prominently violent gangs:

MS-13 Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, is an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1970s and 1980s. Originally, the gang was set up to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs in the Los Ange ...

(

Mara Salvatrucha Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, is an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1970s and 1980s. Originally, the gang was set up to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs in the Los Ange ...

), and

Barrio 18 18th Street, also known as , , , or simply in Central America, is a multi-ethnic (largely Central American and Culture of Mexico, Mexican) Transnational crime, transnational criminal organization that started as a street gang in Los Angeles. It ...

, which had roots in civil war-era young Salvadorans who illegally entered the U.S. and experienced the gangs there before deportation.

Statistics

As per 2014, it provides

pastoral care Pastoral care is an ancient model of emotional, social and spiritual support that can be found in all cultures and traditions. The term is considered inclusive of distinctly non-religious forms of support, as well as support for people from rel ...

to Roman Catholics serving in the

and their families in 37 parishes with 38 priests (diocesan) and 6 seminarians.

Ordinaries

;''Military Vicar of El Salvador'' * José Eduardo Alvarez Ramírez, C.M. (appointed 4 November 1968 – ''see below'' became military ordinary 21 July 1986),

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

Tabunia Tabunia, is an ancient city and former bishopric of Roman North Africa, which remains a Latin Catholic titular see. History Tabunia was among the many cities of significant importance in the Roman province of Mauretania Caesariensis to becom ...

(1965.10.07 – 1969.12.09), also Auxiliary Bishop of

(El Salvador) (1965.10.07 – 1968.11.04) ;'' Military Ordinaries of El Salvador'' * José Eduardo Alvarez Ramírez,

Congregation of the Mission , logo = , image = Vincentians.png , abbreviation = CM , nickname = Vincentians, Paules, Lazarites, Lazarists, Lazarians , established = , founder = Vincent de Paul , fou ...

(C.M.) (''see above'' 21 July 1986 – resigned 7 March 1987), also Bishop of San Miguel (El Salvador) (1969.12.09 – retired 1997.04.10) and President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (1980 – 1983), died 2000 * Roberto Joaquín Ramos Umaña (appointed 7 March 1987 – died 23 June 1993),

Sebarga Sebarga is a parish in Amieva, a municipality within the province and autonomous community of Asturias, in northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , nation ...

(1987.03.07 – 1993.06.23) * ''

Apostolic Administrator An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...

Fernando Sáenz Lacalle (1993.07.03 – 1997.06.19), while first Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Ana (El Salvador) (1984.12.22 – 1995.04.22) and Titular Bishop of Tabbora (1984.12.22 – 1995.04.22), later Metropolitan Archbishop of

(1995.04.22 – retired 2008.12.27) and President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (1998 – 2008.12.27)'' * ''Apostolic Administrator Father Luis Morao Andreazza,

Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (also called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the teachin ...

(O.F.M.) (1997.06.19 – 2003.11.12), later Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Ana (El Salvador) (2003.11.12 – 2007.04.21) and Titular Bishop of Tullia (2003.11.12 – 2007.04.21), then Bishop of Chalatenango (El Salvador) (2007.04.21 – retired 2016.07.14)'' * ''Apostolic Administrator Fabio Reynaldo Colindres Abarca'' (2003.11.12 – 2008.02.02 ''see below'') * Fabio Reynaldo Colindres Abarca (''see above'', appointed 2 February 2008 – ...); also Apostolic Administrator of

Sonsonate Sonsonate () is a city and municipality of El Salvador. It is the capital of the department of Sonsonate; on the Sensunapan River and the Pan-American Highway from San Salvador to the Pacific port of Acajutla, south. Pop. (2007), about 71,541. E ...

(El Salvador) (2011.10.08 – 2012.06.11); appointed Bishop of San Miguel 2017.12.07

References

Obispado Castrense en El Salvador
(GCatholic.org - data for all sections)

(Catholic-Hierarchy) {{DEFAULTSORT:El Salvador, Military Ordinariate Roman Catholic dioceses in El Salvador Military ordinariates

History

Statistics

Ordinaries

See also

References