Catholicism was introduced In Venzuela in 1527 at the arrival of the Spanish and a
regular hierarchy was established soon afterwards. In 1945 this included :
- the Archdioceses of Caracas and Mérida
Outside this regular hierarchy were the following jurisdictions, mainly concerned
with mission work among the Native Americans :
- the Apostolic Vicariates of Caroni and Machiques
- the Apostolic Prefecture of Alto Oronico.
__________________________________________________________________________________
ALTO ORONICO*
The Apostolic Prefecture of Alto Oronico was established in 1932.
Prefect Apostolic
1932 - 1945 Enrique de Ferrari 1... - 1945
__________________________________________________________________________________
A Diocese of Coro was erected in 1531. In 1638 the see was transferred to Caracas
and renamed Caracas, Santiago de Venezuela.
It was a suffragan of Santo Domingo until 1803 when it became a separate Archdiocese
covering the whole of Venezuela until 1923.
Archbishops
1852 - 1876 Silvestre Guevara y Lira 1813 - 1882
1876 - 1883 José Antonio Ponte 1832 - 1883
1884 - 1904 Críspulo Uzcátegui 1845 - 1904
1904 - 1915 Juan Bautista Castro 1846 -
1916 - 1946 Felipe Rincón González 1861 - 1946
__________________________________________________________________________________
The Apostolic Vicariate of Caroni was established in 1922.
Vicars Apostolic
1923 - 1938 Diego Antonio Alonso Nistal, Titular
Bishop of Dorileum in Phrigia Salutare I 1871 - 1938
1938 - 1968 Constantino Gómez Villa, Titular
Bishop of Cucusus in Armenia II 1891 -
__________________________________________________________________________________
The Apostolic Vicariate of Machiques was established in 1943.
Vicar Apostolic
1944 - 1954 Angelo Gaspare Turrado Moreno, Titular
Bishop of Assus in Asia I 1903 - 1961
__________________________________________________________________________________
The Diocese of Mérida was erected in 1778 as a suffragn of Santa Fé de Bogota0 It
was transferred to the jurisdiction of Caracas in 1803 and became an Archdiocese of
its own in 1923, covering the western parts of the country.
Bishops
1842 - 1873 Juan Hilario Bos et 1799 - 1873
1873 - 1880 vacant
1880 - 1892 Román Lovera 1839 - 1892
1892 - 1895 vacant
1895 - 1923 Antonio Ramón Silva 1850 - 1927
Archbishops
1923 - 1927 Antonio Ramón Silva s.a.
1927 - 1966 Acacio Chacón Guerra 1884 -
Back to ROMAN CATHOLIC REGIONAL HIERARCHY
