The Archdiocese of Seville is part 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 ...
in
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
. The Diocese of Seville was founded in the 3rd century. It was raised to the level of an archdiocese in the 4th century. The current
archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
is
José Ángel Saiz Meneses
José Ángel Saiz Meneses (born 2 August 1956) is a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as the metropolitan archbishop of Seville since 2021. He has been a bishop since 2001, serving as an auxiliary in Barcelona from 2001 to 20 ...
. It has the
suffragan diocese
A suffragan diocese is one of the dioceses other than the metropolitan archdiocese that constitute an ecclesiastical province. It exists in some Christian denominations, in particular the Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria ...
s of:
*
Cádiz y Ceuta
*
Córdoba
*
Huelva
Huelva (, ) is a city in southwestern Spain, the capital of the province of Huelva in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is between two short rias though has an outlying spur including nature reserve on the Gulf of Cádiz coast. The rias ...
*
Canaries
*
Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera (), or simply Jerez (), is a Spanish city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, located midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cádiz Mountains. , the ...
*
San Cristóbal de La Laguna o Tenerife
Early History of the Diocese
During
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
times
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
was the capital of the Province of
Baetica
Hispania Baetica, often abbreviated Baetica, was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula). Baetica was bordered to the west by Lusitania, and to the northeast by Hispania Tarraconensis. Baetica remained one of the basic di ...
, and the origin of the diocese goes back to
apostolic times, or at least to the 1st century.
Saint Gerontius, Bishop of
Italica
Italica ( es, Itálica) was a Roman town founded by Italic settlers in Hispania; its site is close to the town of Santiponce, part of the province of Seville in modern-day Spain. It was founded in 206 BC by Roman general Scipio as a settleme ...
, preached in
Baetica
Hispania Baetica, often abbreviated Baetica, was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula). Baetica was bordered to the west by Lusitania, and to the northeast by Hispania Tarraconensis. Baetica remained one of the basic di ...
, and without doubt must have left a pastor of its own to
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
. It is certain that in 303, when Saints
Justa and Rufina
Saints Justa and Rufina (Ruffina) ( es, Santa Justa y Santa Rufina) are venerated as martyrs. They are said to have been martyred at Hispalis (Seville) during the 3rd century.
Only St. Justa (sometimes "Justus" in early manuscripts) is mentione ...
were
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
ed for refusing to adore the
idol
Idol or Idols may refer to:
Religion and philosophy
* Cult image, a neutral term for a man-made object that is worshipped or venerated for the deity, spirit or demon that it embodies or represents
* Murti, a point of focus for devotion or medit ...
Salambo, there was a Bishop of Seville named
Sabinus, who assisted at the
Council of Illiberis in 287.
''Zeno'' (472–486) was appointed
vicar apostolic
A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...
by
Pope Simplicius
Pope Simplicius (died 2 or 10 March 483) was the bishop of Rome from 468 to his death. He combated the Eutychian heresy, ended the practice of consecrating bishops only in December, and sought to offset the effects of Germanic invasions.
Electi ...
, and
Pope Hormisdas
Pope Hormisdas (450 – 6 August 523) was the bishop of Rome from 20 July 514 to his death. His papacy was dominated by the Acacian schism, started in 484 by Acacius of Constantinople's efforts to placate the Monophysites. His efforts to resolve ...
gave the same charge to Bishop
Sallustius The names Sallustius/Saloustios and their vernacular variants Sallust(e) have been borne by many people:
* Sallust or Gaius Sallustius Crispus, historian of the 1st century BC
**Gardens of Sallust
* Gaius Sallustius Passienus Crispus, 1st-century A ...
in the provinces of Baetica and
Lusitania
Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province located where modern Portugal (south of the Douro river) and
a portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and the province of Salamanca) lie. It was named after the Lusitani or Lusita ...
. However, the see was rendered illustrious above all by the holy brothers Saints
Leander
Leander is one of the protagonists in the story of Hero and Leander in Greek mythology.
Leander may also refer to:
People
* Leander (given name)
* Leander (surname)
Places
* Leander, Kentucky, United States, an unincorporated community
* Le ...
and
Isidore
Isidore ( ; also spelled Isador, Isadore and Isidor) is an English and French masculine given name. The name is derived from the Greek name ''Isídōros'' (Ἰσίδωρος) and can literally be translated to "gift of Isis." The name has survived ...
. The former of these contributed to the conversion of
Saint Hermengild and
Recared
Reccared I (or Recared; la, Flavius Reccaredus; es, Flavio Recaredo; 559 – December 601; reigned 586–601) was Visigothic King of Hispania and Septimania. His reign marked a climactic shift in history, with the king's renunciation of Arianis ...
, and presided at the
Third Council of Toledo
The Third Council of Toledo (589) marks the entry of Visigothic Spain into the Catholic Church, and is known for codifying the filioque clause into Western Christianity."Filioque." Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian church. ...
in 589. While the latter presided at the
Fourth Council of Toledo
The Fourth Council of Toledo was held in 633. It was convened by Visigothic king Sisenand and took place at the church of Saint Leocadia in Toledo.
Probably under the presidency of the noted Isidore of Seville, the council regulated many matters ...
and was the teacher of
medieval Spain
Spain in the Middle Ages is a period in the History of Spain that began in the 5th Century following the Fall of the Western Roman Empire and ended with the beginning of the Early modern period in 1492.
The history of Spain is marked by waves ...
.
The king's son ''Philip'' was appointed
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
of Seville, while he was given as
coadjutor The term coadjutor (or coadiutor, literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence.
These include:
* Coadj ...
the
Dominican Raimundo de Losada,
Bishop of Segovia, who became archbishop five years later, on the abdication of the
Infante
''Infante'' (, ; f. ''infanta''), also anglicised as Infant or translated as Prince, is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms of Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and León) and Portugal to t ...
. In addition to the cathedral chapter, another community of clerics was formed to sing the Divine Office in the Chapel Royal of Our Lady of the Kings (Nuestra Senora de los Reyes) about 1252.
Most of the other mosques of the city were converted into churches, but Santa María la Blanca, Santa Cruz, and San Bartolome were left to the Jews for
synagogue
A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
s. The cathedral originated in the great
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
which was the work of the
emir
Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...
s who built the
Aljama
''Aljama'' (, , ) is a term of Arabic origin used in old official documents in Spain and Portugal to designate the self-governing communities of Moors and Jews living under Christian rule in the Iberian Peninsula. In some present-day Spanish cit ...
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
, rebuilt in 1171 by the
Almohad
The Almohad Caliphate (; ar, خِلَافَةُ ٱلْمُوَحِّدِينَ or or from ar, ٱلْمُوَحِّدُونَ, translit=al-Muwaḥḥidūn, lit=those who profess the Tawhid, unity of God) was a North African Berbers, Berber M ...
emir,
Yusuf-ben Yacub. The famous tower called the
Giralda
The Giralda ( es, La Giralda ) is the bell tower of Seville Cathedral in Seville, Spain. It was built as the minaret for the Great Mosque of Seville in al-Andalus, Moorish Spain, during the reign of the Almohad dynasty, with a Renaissance-style ...
is due to
Almanzor
Abu ʿĀmir Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdullāh ibn Abi ʿĀmir al-Maʿafiri ( ar, أبو عامر محمد بن عبد الله بن أبي عامر المعافري), nicknamed al-Manṣūr ( ar, المنصور, "the Victorious"), which is often Latiniz ...
. In order to secure the liturgical orientation, when the mosque was converted into a cathedral its width was made the length of the new church; and it was divided into two parts, the lesser part, on the cast, being separated from the rest by a
balustrade
A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its con ...
and grating, to form the chapel royal.
List of Bishops and Archbishops of Seville
Early bishops
1300 to 1500
1500 to 1700
1700 to 1900
1900 to present
*
Marcelo Spinola y Maestre (2 December 1895 – 20 January 1906) (Cardinal in 1905)
*
Salvador Castellote y Pinazo (6 December 1906 – 23 December 1906)
*
Enrique Almaraz y Santos
Enrique Almaraz y Santos Doctor of Sacred Theology, S.T.D. (22 September 1847 – 22 January 1922) was a Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seville, Archbishop of Seville and, later, ...
(18 April 1907 – 16 December 1920) (Cardinal in 1912), appointed Archbishop of Toledo
*
Eustaquio Ilundáin y Esteban (16 December 1920 – 10 August 1937) (Cardinal in 1925)
*(Cardinal)
Pedro Segura y Sáenz
Pedro Segura y Sáenz (4 December 1880 – 8 April 1957) was a Spanish Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Toledo from 1927 to 1931, and Archbishop of Seville from 1937 until 1954. Segura was elevated to the car ...
(14 September 1937 – 8 April 1957)
*
José Bueno y Monreal (8 April 1957 – 22 May 1982) (Cardinal in 1958)
*
Carlos Amigo Vallejo
Carlos Amigo Vallejo, O.F.M. (23 August 1934 – 27 April 2022) was a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Seville from 1982 to 2009. He was made a cardinal in 2003. He was archbishop of Tangier in Morocco from 19 ...
(22 May 1982 – 5 November 2009) (Cardinal in 2003)
*
Juan Asenjo Pelegrina
Juan José Asenjo Pelegrina (born 15 October 1945) is a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church who was the Archbishop of Seville from 5 November 2009 until his retirement on 17 April 2021.
Biography
Juan José Asenjo Pelegrina was born in Si ...
(5 November 2009 – 17 April 2021)
*
José Ángel Saiz Meneses
José Ángel Saiz Meneses (born 2 August 1956) is a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as the metropolitan archbishop of Seville since 2021. He has been a bishop since 2001, serving as an auxiliary in Barcelona from 2001 to 20 ...
(17 April 2021
– present)
Auxiliary bishops
References
External links
Archidiócesis de SevillaCentro de Estudios Teológicos de Sevilla*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seville
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
*
Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Seville