The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Asunción ( la, Archidioecesis Sanctissimae Assumptionis) is an ecclesiastical territory or

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 ...

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 ...

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

. It was created as the Diocese of Paraguay by

Pope Paul III Pope Paul III ( la, Paulus III; it, Paolo III; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549), born Alessandro Farnese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death in November 1549. He came to ...

on July 1, 1547, and was elevated to the rank of a

metropolitan archdiocese A metropolis religious jurisdiction, or a metropolitan archdiocese, is an episcopal see whose bishop is the metropolitan bishop or archbishop of an ecclesiastical province. Metropolises, historically, have been important cities in their provinces. ...

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...

on May 1, 1929, with the

suffragan sees 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 jurisdiction ...

of Benjamín Aceval,

Caacupé Caacupé (; Guarani: ''Ka'akupe'', literally: "Behind the Mount") is a city and district in Paraguay. It is the capital of the department of Cordillera A cordillera is an extensive chain and/or network system of mountain ranges, such as those ...

Carapeguá Carapeguá (, '' Guaraní: Karapegua'') is a city and ''district'' of the Paraguarí Department, Paraguay, located 84 km from Asunción. It was founded in 1725. Settled by the Caañabé river and over the Route 1 "Mariscal Francisco Solano ...

Ciudad del Este Ciudad del Este (, Spanish for Eastern City; often shortered as CDE) is the second-largest city in Paraguay and capital of the Alto Paraná Department, situated on the Paraná River. It is located 327 km from Asunción, the capital, and is a ...

, Concepción,

Coronel Oviedo Coronel Oviedo (), locally simply known as Oviedo, is a city in east-central Paraguay. It is the capital of the Caaguazú Department, about 150 kilometers east of Asunción, and was founded in 1758. The city has a population of about 52,400 ( ...

, Encarnación, San Juan Bautista de las Misiones,

San Lorenzo San Lorenzo is the Italian and Spanish name for Lawrence of Rome, Saint Lawrence, the 3rd-century Christian martyr, and may refer to: Places Argentina * San Lorenzo, Santa Fe * San Lorenzo Department, Chaco * Monte San Lorenzo, a mountain on t ...

, San Pedro, and Villarrica del Espíritu Santo. The archdiocese's

mother church Mother church or matrice is a term depicting the Christian Church as a mother in her functions of nourishing and protecting the believer. It may also refer to the primary church of a Christian denomination or diocese, i.e. a cathedral or a metro ...

and thus seat of its archbishop is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. As the only metropolitan in Paraguay, it is the principal

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 ...

of that country. the

Archbishop of Asunción 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 ...

was

Eustaquio Cuquejo Verga Eustaquio is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Eustaquio Escandón (1862–1933), Mexican polo player in the 1900 Summer Olympics * Eustaquio Ilundáin y Esteban (1862–1937), Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, Archbishop ...

, CSSR, having been appointed by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

on June 15, 2002. On Tuesday, November 8, 2011,

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

, appointed

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 ...

Edmundo Valenzuela Archbishop Edmundo Ponziano Valenzuela Mellid Salesians of Don Bosco, SDB (born 19 November 1944) is a Roman Catholic missionary currently serving in Paraguay as the sixth Metropolitan bishop, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdioc ...

, S.D.B., as Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese. Until then he had served as

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 ...

of the

Apostolic Vicariate of Chaco Paraguayo The Vicariate Apostolic of Chaco Paraguayo ( la, Apostolicus Vicariatus Ciachensis in Paraquaria Natione) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or apostolic vicariate of the Catholic Church located in the city of Fuerte Olimpo in Paraguay. ...

, with the ecclesiastical rank of Bishop (Vicariates Apostolic are a type of jurisdiction that rank below a diocese). He was born in

Villarrica of Espiritu Santo, Paraguay Villarrica may refer to: Places ;Chile *Lake Villarrica *Villarrica, Chile *Villarrica (volcano) *Villarrica National Park ;Colombia *Villarrica, Colombia, a municipality in the department of Tolima ;Paraguay *Villarrica, Paraguay, a city in the ...

, on November 19, 1944. He was ordained to the priesthood on April 3, 1971, as a member of the

Salesians of Don Bosco The Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), formally known as the Society of Saint Francis de Sales (), is a religious congregation of men in the Catholic Church, founded in the late 19th century by Italian priest Saint John Bosco to help poor children du ...

. He received a licentiate in

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

from the Salesian University in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. At one time, he was a missionary in Angola (1991–2006). On February 13, 2006, he was named

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 ...

Uzal Uzal, in the Hebrew Bible, is a descendant of Joktan (Book of Genesis 10:27 ; 1 Chronicles 1:21), whose settlements are traced in the ancient name of Sanaʽa, the capital city of the Yemen. He was believed to be the founder of an Arabian tribe. Uza ...

and appointed Vicar Apostolic of Chaco, Paraguay, receiving episcopal ordination on April 22, 2006. As part of the Episcopal Conference of Paraguay, he serves as Chairman of the Commission for Catholic Education. The archdiocese has 1.58 million Catholics (90.6%) in 2012. Archbishop Valenzuela succeeded to the see on November 6, 2014.

Bishops

Ordinaries

;''Diocese of Paraguay'' ''Erected: 1 July 1547''
''Latin Name: de Paraguay'' #

Juan de los Barrios Friar Juan de los Barrios y Toledo, OFM (1496 – February 12, 1569) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as the first Archbishop of Santafé de Bogotá of the New Kingdom of Granada, (1564–1569), ''(in Latin)'' Bishop of Santa Marta (15 ...

, O.F.M. (1547–1552), appointed Bishop of Santa Marta, Colombia #

Pedro de la Torre Pedro de la Torre (died 1573) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Paraguay (1554–1573). ''(in Latin)'' Biography Pedro de la Torre was ordained a priest in the Order of Friars Minor. On 27 August 1554, he was appointed duri ...

, O.F.M. (1554–1573) #

Alfonso Guerra (bishop) Alfonso Guerra OP (died 18 June 1596) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Michoacán (1592–1596) ''(in Latin)'' ''(in Latin)'' and Bishop of Paraguay (1579–1592). ''(in Latin)'' Biography Alfonso Guerra was born in Vallad ...

, O.P. (1579–1592), appointed Bishop of Michoacán, México # Thomas Vásquez de Liaño (1596–1599) ''(in Latin)'' # Martín Ignacio de Loyola (1601–1608) # Reginaldo de Lizárraga, O.P. (1609) # Lorenzo Pérez de Grado (1615–1619), appointed Bishop of Cuzco, Peru # Tomás de la Torre Gibaja, O.P. (1620–1628), appointed Bishop of Córdoba (Tucumán), Argentina #

Cristóbal de Aresti Martínez de Aguilar Cristóbal de Aresti Martínez de Aguilar, O.S.B. (1578–1641) was a Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Buenos Aires (1635–1641) and Bishop of Paraguay (1629–1635). ''(in Latin)'' Biography Cristóbal de Aresti Martínez de Aguilar w ...

O.S.B. , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , found ...

(1629–1635), appointed Bishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina #

Francisco de la Serna Francisco de la Serna, O.E.S.A. (1568 – April 1647) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of La Paz (1645–1647), Bishop of Popayán (1638–1645), and Bishop of Paraguay (1635–1638). ''(in Latin)'' Biography Francisco de la S ...

O.E.S.A. The Order of Saint Augustine, ( la, Ordo Fratrum Sancti Augustini) abbreviated OSA, is a religious mendicant order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1244 by bringing together several eremitical groups in the Tuscany region who were fo ...

(1635–1638), appointed Bishop of Popayán, Colombia #

Bernardino de Cárdenas Ponce Bernardino is a name of Italian, Hispanic, or Portuguese origin, which can refer to: Given name * Bernardino Baldi (1533–1617), Italian mathematician and writer *Bernardino Bertolotti (born 1547), Italian composer and instrumentalist *Bernard ...

, O.F.M. (1640–1666), appointed Bishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia # Gabriel de Guilléstegui, O.F.M. (1666–1670), appointed Bishop of La Paz, Bolivia # Ferdinandus de Valcácer (1672) # Faustino Casas Hernández, O. de M. (1674–1686) # Sebastián de Pastrana, O. de M. (1693–1700) # Pedro Díaz de Durana (1704–1718) # José Luis Palos Bord, O.F.M. (1724–1738) # José Cayetano Paravicino, O.F.M. (1738–1747), appointed Bishop of Trujillo, Peru # Bernardo José Pérez de Oblitas (1747–1756), appointed Bishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia # Manuel Antonio de la Torre (1756–1762), appointed Bishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina # Emmanuel López de Espinosa (1762–1770) # Juan José Priego y Caro, O.P. (1772–1779) # Luis Velasco y Maeda, O.F.M. (1779–1792) # Lorenzo Suarez de Cantillana (1797–1799) # Nicolás Videla del Pino (1802–1806), appointed Bishop of Salta, Argentina # Pedro García de Panés, O.F.M. (1807–1838) # Basilio López (1844–1859) # Juan Gregorio Urbieta (1860–1865) # Manuel Antonio Palacios (1865–1868) # Pietro Giovanni Aponte (1879–1891) # Juan Sinforiano Bogarín (1894–1949) ;''Archdiocese of Asunción'' ''Elevated: 1 May 1929''
''Latin Name: Sanctissimae Assumptionis'' # Juan José Aníbal Mena Porta (1949–1970) #

Ismael Blas Rolón Silvero Ismael may refer to: People * Ismael Balkhi, a political activist from Afghanistan * Ismael Blanco (born 1983), an Argentine professional footballer * Ismael Prego "Wismichu", a Spanish youtuber * Ismael Villegas, a Puerto Rican Major League Bas ...

, S.D.B. (1970–1989) # Felipe Santiago Benítez Ávalos (1989–2002) #

Pastor Cuquejo Eustaquio Pastor Cuquejo Verga C.Ss.R. (20 September 1939 – 22 August 2023) was a Paraguayan Roman Catholic prelate who was the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Asunción. Biography Cuquejo was born on San Estanislao on 20 Se ...

, C.S.S.R. (2002–2014) #

, S.D.B. (2014– )

Coadjutor bishops

* Martín de Sarricolea y Olea (1720), did not take effect * José Luis Palos Bord, O.F.M. (1721–1724) * Manuel Antonio Palacios (1863–1865) * Juan José Aníbal Mena Porta (1941–1949) *

Edmundo Ponziano Valenzuela Mellid Edmundo is a common name that is used by many individuals including: * Edmundo Alves de Souza Neto, former Brazilian football player * Edmundo Farolan, Filipino writer * Edmundo Ros, Trinidadian musician * Edmundo Rivero, Argentine singer * Edmundo ...

, S.D.B. (2011–2014)

Auxiliary bishops

* Marco Antonio Maiz (1844–1848) * Juan Gregorio Urbieta (1856–1860), appointed Bishop here * Juan José Aníbal Mena Porta (1936–1941), appointed Coadjutor here * Ramón Pastor Bogarín Argaña (1954–1957), appointed Bishop of San Juan Bautista de las Misiones * Aníbal Maricevich Fleitas (1957–1965), appointed Bishop of Concepción y Chaco * Felipe Santiago Benitez Avalos (1961–1965), appointed Bishop of Villarrica (later returned here as Archbishop) * Julio Benigno Laschi González (1965–1969) *

Juan Moleón Andreu ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

(1967–1972), appointed Bishop of Paraguay, Military *

Jorge Adolfo Carlos Livieres Banks Jorge Adolfo Carlos Livieres Banks (22 February 1929 – 17 December 2018) was a Paraguayan Roman Catholic bishop. Biography Livieres Banks was born in Paraguay and was ordained to the priesthood in 1956. He served as titular bishop of ''Uti ...

(1976–1987), appointed Prelate of Encarnación * Eustaquio Pastor Cuquejo Verga, C.SS.R. (1982–1992), appointed Bishop of Paraguay, Military (later returned here as Archbishop) * Claudio Giménez Medina, P. Schönstatt (1991–1995), appointed Bishop of Caacupé * Ricardo Jorge Valenzuela Rios (1993–2003), appointed Bishop of Paraguay, Military *

Adalberto Martínez Flores Adalberto Martínez Flores (born 8 July 1951) is a Paraguayan prelate of the Catholic Church who was named as the Archbishop of Asunción in 2022. He has been a bishop since 1997. Flores was created a cardinal by Pope Francis at a consistory o ...

(1997–2000), appointed Bishop of San Lorenzo

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

* Juan González Melgarejo, appointed Bishop of Santiago de Chile in 1743 *

Joaquín Hermes Robledo Romero Joaquín or Joaquin is a male given name, the Spanish version of Joachim. Given name * Joaquín (footballer, born 1956), Spanish football midfielder * Joaquín (footballer, born 1981), Spanish football winger * Joaquín (footballer, born 1982) ...

(priest here, 1975–2000), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Carapeguá in 2009

References

External links

Official site

{{DEFAULTSORT:Asuncion Organisations based in Asunción 1547 establishments in the Spanish Empire Religious organizations established in the 1540s Roman Catholic dioceses in Paraguay Roman Catholic dioceses established in the 16th century Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Asunción Roman Catholic ecclesiastical provinces in Paraguay