The Catholic Church in Uruguay is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.

Overview

In 2014, Catholics made up a minority of the population at 38%, second to the unaffiliated group, which came in at 41%. There are 9 dioceses and the archdiocese of Montevideo; the ordinaries gather in the

Episcopal Conference of Uruguay The Episcopal Conference of Uruguay ( es, Conferencia Episcopal del Uruguay, acronym CEU) is an episcopal conference of the Roman Catholic Church of Uruguay that gathers the bishops of the country in order to discuss pastoral issues and in general ...

. The current archbishop is

Daniel Sturla Daniel Fernando Sturla Berhouet, SDB (born 4 July 1959 in Montevideo) is a Uruguayan Roman Catholic prelate and the archbishop of Montevideo. Biography Sturla was born in a Uruguayan middle-class family. His parents died when he was a teena ...

, who was appointed on 11 February 2014. The patron saint of Uruguay is

Our Lady of the Thirty-Three Our Lady of the Thirty-Three ( es, Nuestra Señora de los Treinta y Tres), also known as the Liberator of Uruguay, is a title of the Virgin Mary and the Patroness of Uruguay. History This image dates from the 18th century and is of Guarani ori ...

, venerated at the

Cathedral Basilica of Florida The Cathedral Basilica of Florida ( es, Catedral Basílica de Florida) is the main Roman Catholic church building of Florida, Uruguay. It is the see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Florida since 1956. History At this place there was originall ...

History

Evangelization of Uruguay followed Spanish settlement in 1624.

Montevideo Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...

became a diocese in 1878, after being erected as a Vicarate in 1830.

Missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

followed the reduction pattern of gathering Indians into communities, training them in agriculture, husbandry, and other arts, while forming them in the Faith. The constitution of 1830 made Catholicism the religion of the state and subsidized missions to Indians. In 1878, Montevideo was elevated to Diocese and, in 1897, to

Archdiocese In 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 provinces were administratively associate ...

. The constitution of 1917 enacted separation of Church and state. Two Eastern Catholic churches are also present in Uruguay, the Armenian Catholic Church and the Maronite Church.

Careers

Uruguay is a country where religious calling is low. Every year, some young people engage in religious careers. In 2013, there were 34 students at the Archdiocesan Seminary in Montevideo.

Saints

So far, there are not any Uruguayan saints, but several causes are open: * Servant of God

Jacinto Vera Blessed Jacinto Vera Durán (Atlantic Ocean, 3 July 1813 – Pan de Azúcar, Uruguay, 6 May 1881) was a Uruguayan Roman Catholic prelate who served as the first bishop of Montevideo. He was an active minister in Uruguay, although his efforts to ...

* Servant of God

Rubén Isidro Alonso Ruben Isidro Alonso, popularly known as "Padre Cacho", (1929–1992) was a Uruguayan Roman Catholic priest. Alonso was born in Montevideo. A famous streetwise priest, he worked with the poorest people in Uruguay, residing with them in the cantegri ...

* Servant of God

Walter Chango Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...

* Servant of God

Salvador García Pintos Salvador, meaning "salvation" (or "saviour") in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese may refer to: * Salvador (name) Arts, entertainment, and media Music *Salvador (band), a Christian band that plays both English and Spanish music ** ''Salvador'' (S ...

* Blessed

Francesca Rubatto Anna Maria Rubatto (14 February 1844 – 6 August 1904) was an Italian Roman Catholic nun who assumed the name of Maria Francesca. She was the founder of the Capuchin Sisters of Mother Rubatto. Most of her work was done in Uruguay where she die ...

* Blessed

Consuelo Aguiar-Mella y Díaz Consuelo or Consuela may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Consuelo'' (novel), an 1842–1843 novel by George Sand * Consuela (''Family Guy''), a character in ''Family Guy'' *"Consuelo", a 2002 song by Belle and Sebastian from ''Storytelling'' ...

* Blessed

Dolores Aguiar-Mella y Díaz Dolores, Spanish for "pain; grief", most commonly refers to: * Our Lady of Sorrows or La Virgen María de los Dolores * Dolores (given name) Dolores may also refer to: Film * ''Dolores'' (2017 film), an American documentary by Peter Bratt * ' ...

Institutes of Consecrated Life

Several religious orders are present in Uruguay. Some of them arrived in colonial times (although their presence was intermittent during the first centuries): * Franciscans (O.F.M.Cap.), since 1624 * Dominicans (O.P.), since 1660 * Society of Jesus (S.J.), 1680–1757, 1842-1859 and since 1872 After Uruguay was established as an independent country, several other religious orders established their own missions in Uruguay: * Conventual Franciscans (O.F.M.Conv.) * Betharram Fathers, known also as "Padres Bayoneses" (S.C.I. di Béth.), since 1856 * Salesians of Don Bosco (S.D.B.), since 1877 * Sisters of Adoration (R.A.), known also as "Adoratrices", since 1885 * Sisters of Christian Charity, known also as "Hermanas Alemanas" (S.C.C.), since 1885 *

Pallottine Fathers The Pallottines officially named the Society of the Catholic Apostolate ( la, Societas Apostolatus Catholici), abbreviated SAC is a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right for men in the Roman Catholic Church, founded in 1835 by the Roman C ...

(S.A.C.), since 1886 *

Brothers of the Holy Family of Belley A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...

(F.S.F.), since 1889 *

Vincentians Vincentian can refer to: *A citizen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines *A person from Saint Vincent (island), the largest island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines *A member of one of the orders or societies in the Vincentian Family, both Roman ...

(C.M.), since 1892 *

Capuchin Sisters of Mother Rubatto The Capuchin Sisters of Mother Rubatto ( it, Suore Cappuccine di Madre Rubatto) are a religious institute of pontificial right (acronym S.C.M.R.).''Ann. Pont. 2007'', p. 1542. It was established at Loano on 23 January 1885.DIP, vol. II (1975), ...

(S.C.M.R.), since 1892 * Claretians (C.M.F.), since 1896 *

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales (Latin: ''Oblati Sancti Francisci Salesii'', O.S.F.S.) are a congregation of Roman Catholic priests and brothers who follow the teachings of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal. The community was foun ...

(O.S.F.S.), since 1896 * Discalced Carmelites (O.C.D.), since 1912 * Dominican Sisters of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin, or simply "Dominicas" (D.A.), since 1913 *

Sons of Divine Providence The Sons of Divine Providence ( it, Figli della Divina Provvidenza), commonly called the Orionine Fathers, is a Roman Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men founded in 1903 by Luigi Orione (1872–1940) in Turin, ...

(F.D.P.), since 1921 * Maronite Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary (O.M.M.), since 1924 * Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (O.M.I.), since 1929. *

Augustinians Augustinians are members of Christian religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...

(O.S.A.), since 1932 * Marist Brothers (F.M.S.), since 1934 * Brothers of the Sacred Heart, known also as "Corazonistas" (S.C.), since 1935 *

Dehonians The Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart ( la, Congregatio Sacerdotum a Sacro Corde Iesu) abbreviated SCI, also called the Dehonians, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men in the Catholic Church f ...

(S.C.I.), since 1940 * Passionists (C.P.), since 1940 * Brothers of Christian Instruction (F.I.C.P.), known also as "Menesianos", since 1951 *

Religious of Jesus and Mary The Religious of Jesus and Mary (french: Religieuses de Jésus-Marie), abbreviated as R.J.M., form a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women dedicated to the education and service of the poor. It was founded at Lyon, France, in October 1818 ...

(R.J.M.), since 1952 * Christian Brothers (C.F.C.), since 1955 *

Opus Dei Opus Dei, formally known as the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei ( la, Praelatura Sanctae Crucis et Operis Dei), is an institution of the Catholic Church whose members seek personal Christian holiness and strive to imbue their work an ...

, since 1956 *

Sisters Hospitaller of the Sacred Heart of Jesus The Sisters Hospitallers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, acronym H.S.C.,''Ann. Pont. 2007'', p. 1657. is an institute of consecrated life established in 1881 by the Italian priest St. Benedict Menni (1841–1914). It is devoted to poor sick peopl ...

(H.S.C.), since 1961 *

Scalabrinians The Congregation of the Missionaries of Saint Charles Borromeo ( la, Congregatio Missionariorum a S. Carolo), commonly called the Scalabrinian Missionaries, is a Roman Catholic religious institute of brothers and priests founded by Giovanni Battis ...

(C.S.), since 1970 * Missionaries of Charity (M.C.), since 1991 *

Visitandines , image = Salesas-escut.gif , size = 175px , abbreviation = V.S.M. , nickname = Visitandines , motto = , formation = , founder = Saint Bishop Francis de ...

(V.S.M.) * Brothers of Our Lady of Mercy, known as "Misericordistas" (F.D.M.) * Poor Servants of Divine Providence (P.S.D.P.) * Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco (F.M.A.)

Notable Uruguayan Catholic religious leaders

* Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga (1771–1848), naturalist and first Apostolic Vicar of Uruguay * Juan Francisco Larrobla (1775–1842), theologian and patriot, writer of the Declaration of the Independence * José Benito Monterroso (1780–1838), secretary of the national hero

José Artigas José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...

José Benito Lamas thumb José Benito Lamas (Montevideo, 12 January 1787 - 9 May 1857) was a Roman Catholic priest from the Banda Oriental. Biography He was ordained in the Franciscan Order and studied theology and philosophy. He was a notable patriot during the fi ...

(1787–1857), patriot and lecturer *

Manuel Barreiro Manuel 'Manu' Barreiro Bustelo (born 8 July 1986) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for CD Lugo as a forward. Club career Born in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Barreiro was a Valencia CF youth graduate. He made his debut as a se ...

(1787–1838), patriot and constituent *

Lorenzo Antonio Fernández Lorenzo Antonio Fernández (1792–1852) was a Uruguayan Roman Catholic priest and politician. Nephew of Juan Francisco Larrobla, he played an important political role as a member of the Constituent and Legislative Assembly of the State and as ...

(1792–1852), constituent and rector of the University * Servant of God

(1813–1881), first Bishop of Montevideo * Blessed

Francisca Rubatto Anna Maria Rubatto (14 February 1844 – 6 August 1904) was an Italian Roman Catholic nun who assumed the name of Maria Francesca. She was the founder of the Capuchin Sisters of Mother Rubatto. Most of her work was done in Uruguay where she die ...

(1844–1905), founder of the

Mariano Soler Monsignor Dr. Mariano Soler (born 25 March 1846 in San Carlos - deceased 26 September 1908 in Gibraltar) was a Uruguayan cleric and the first Roman Catholic archbishop of Montevideo, Uruguay. A student at the South American College in Rome, he o ...

(1846–1908), first Archbishop of Montevideo *

Antonio Barbieri Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular male ...

, OFM Cap (1892–1979), first Uruguayan cardinal *

Juan Luis Segundo Juan Luis Segundo (March 31, 1925, in Montevideo, Uruguay – January 17, 1996, in Montevideo) was a Jesuit priest and Uruguayan theologian who was an important figure in the movement known as Latin American liberation theology. He wrote numerous ...

, S.J. (1925–1996),

liberation theologian Liberation theology is a Christian theological approach emphasizing the liberation of the oppressed. In certain contexts, it engages socio-economic analyses, with "social concern for the poor and political liberation for oppressed peoples". In ...

* Servant of God

S.D.B. , image = File:Stemma big.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms , abbreviation = SDB , formation = , founder = John Bosco , founding_location = Valdocco, Turin ...

(1929-1992), streetwise priest *

S.D.B. , image = File:Stemma big.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms , abbreviation = SDB , formation = , founder = John Bosco , founding_location = Valdocco, Turin ...

(born 1959), second Uruguayan cardinal and current archbishop of Montevideo * Gonzalo Aemilius (born 1978), principal of the Liceo Jubilar

References

External links

*
Episcopal Conference of Uruguay
{{South America in topic, Catholic Church in, groupstyle=background-color:gold, titlestyle=background-color:gold Uruguay Uruguay

Overview

History

Careers

Saints

Institutes of Consecrated Life

Notable Uruguayan Catholic religious leaders

See also

References

External links