The Roman Catholic Diocese of California, also called the Diocese of the Californias or Diocese of Two Californias, is a former residential
episcopal see
An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...
that existed during 1840–1849, covering
the Californias (including both
Alta California
Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...
and
Baja California). After the
Mexican–American War, the American portion became the
Diocese of Monterey in California, while the Mexican portion was eventually reorganized into the
Diocese of Tijuana
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tijuana ( la, Archidioecesis Tigiuanaënsis) is a Metropolitan Archdiocese in Mexico. It is based in the city of Tijuana, Baja California, and the province has the suffragan dioceses of Ensenada, La Paz en la ...
. In 1996, the title was revived as a
titular see of the
Catholic Church.
Residential see
Pope Gregory XVI set up the Diocese of California with the
papal bull ''Apostolicam sollicitudinem'' of 27 April 1840. He assigned to the new diocese a vast territory taken from that of the
Diocese of Sonora
The Archdiocese of Hermosillo ( la, Archidioecesis Hermosillensis) is a Roman Catholic Archdiocese located in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Its area is 90,959 sq. miles, and its population (2004) 1,067,051. The bishop resides at Hermosillo.
The A ...
, now the Metropolitan
Archdiocese of Hermosillo
The Archdiocese of Hermosillo ( la, Archidioecesis Hermosillensis) is a Roman Catholic Archdiocese located in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Its area is 90,959 sq. miles, and its population (2004) 1,067,051. The bishop resides at Hermosillo.
The A ...
, in
Mexico. It included
Alta California
Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...
(corresponding to the present-day American states of
California,
Nevada,
Arizona,
Utah, western
Colorado and southwestern
Wyoming) and the
Baja California Territory (the modern Mexican states of
Baja California and
Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur (; 'South Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur), is the least populated state and the 31st admitted state of the 32 federal ent ...
). He set the episcopal residence at
San Diego and made the diocese a
suffragan
A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations.
In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...
of the
Archdiocese of Mexico City
The Archdiocese of Mexico ( la, Archidioecesis Mexicanensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church that is situated in Mexico City, Mexico. It was erected as a diocese on 2 September 1530 and elevated ...
.
After the
Mexican–American War,
Alta California
Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...
became
United States territory and the
Holy See divided the American diocese into US and Mexican sections.
On 20 November 1849, with the episcopal residence moved to Monterey, a more central position for the new diocese, the bishopric was formally suppressed, with two successor jurisdictions:
* The U.S. section became the
Diocese of Monterey.
*
Baja California, the part that remained Mexican, was eventually reorganized as the
Vicariate Apostolic of California Inferiore in 1874, which later became the
Diocese of Tijuana
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tijuana ( la, Archidioecesis Tigiuanaënsis) is a Metropolitan Archdiocese in Mexico. It is based in the city of Tijuana, Baja California, and the province has the suffragan dioceses of Ensenada, La Paz en la ...
.
The Residential Ordinaries were:
* Bishop
Francisco José Vicente Garcia Diego y Moreno,
O.F.M. (April 27, 1840 – April 30, 1846)
*
Apostolic Administrator Father
José Maria González Rúbio, O.F.M. (1846 – November 20, 1849), subsequently Apostolic Administrator of the
Diocese of Monterey.
Titular see
The diocese was nominally restored as Latin
Titular bishopric of ''California or Both Californias'' in English, ''Ambas Californias'' in Spanish, or ''Californiensis'' in Latin.
GCatholic.org
/ref> It has had following incumbents, so far of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank :
* John James Ward
John James Ward (September 28, 1920 – January 10, 2011) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles from 1963 to 1996. Prior to his death, he was just one of thre ...
(1996–2011) as emeritate. He was previously Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles during 1963–1996, and Titular Bishop of Bria during 1963–1996.
* William John Waltersheid, Auxiliary Bishop of Diocese of Pittsburgh (2011–present). He had no previous prelature.
See also
* Catholic Church history in the United States
* List of Catholic dioceses in the United States
* List of Catholic titular sees
References
Sources and external links
GCatholic, with titular incumbent biographies - data for all sections
{{DEFAULTSORT:Both Californias, Roman Catholic Diocese
California
Catholic Church in California
Suppressed Roman Catholic dioceses
The Californias
1840 establishments in Mexico