Roman Catholic Diocese of Zacapa y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Zacapa (y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas) is a Latin suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the Archdiocese of Guatemala.

Diocese of Zacapa y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas Dioecesis Zacapensis y de Esquipulas
Basílica del Cristo Negro de Esquipulas
Location
Country	Guatemala
Ecclesiastical province	Province of Guatemala City
Statistics
Area	5,598 km2 (2,161 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2014) 613,000 528,000 (86.1%)
Parishes	23
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	10 March 1951 (73 years ago)
Cathedral	Catedral San Pedro
Co-cathedral	Basílica del Cristo Negro de Esquipulas
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Angel Antonio Recinos Lemus

Its cathedral episcopal see is catedral San Pedro (dedicated to saint Peter), in Zacapa. It also had a virtual Co-cathedral, Basílica del Cristo Negro de Esquipulas, which is officially still the cathedral of the Territorial Prelature of Santo Cristo de Esquipulas.

History

It was erected 10 March 1951, as the Diocese of Zacapa, on territory split off from the Archdiocese of Guatemala (still its Metropolitan].

On 16 September 1956, it lost territory to establish the Territorial Prelature of Santo Cristo de Esquipulas, and again on 30 April 1968 to establish the then Apostolic Administration of Izabal.

It was (re)united aeque principaliter (in permanent personal union) with the Territorial Prelature of Santo Cristo de Esquipulas on 24 June 1986 and since assumed the name Diocese of Zacapa y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas.

It enjoyed a papal visit from Pope John Paul II in February 1996.

Bishops

Episcopal ordinaries

• Apostolic Administrator Miguel Ángel García y Aráuz (1951 – 1955.11.30), while first Bishop of Jalapa (Guatemala) (1951.04.11 – 1987.01.29); previously Titular Bishop of Sophene (1944.05.16 – 1951.04.11) & Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Guatemala (1944.05.16 – 1951.04.11)
• Costantino Cristiano Luna Pianegonda, Friars Minor (O.F.M.) (1955.11.30 – 1980.02.16)
• Rodolfo Quezada Toruño (1980.02.16 – 2001.06.19), succeeding as former Coadjutor Bishop of Zacapa (1975.09.11 – 1980.02.16); also Bishop-Prelate of the Territorial Prelature of Santo Cristo de Esquipulas (1986.06.24 – 2001.06.19), President of Episcopal Conference of Guatemala (1988–1992); previously Titular Bishop of Gadiaufala (1972.04.05 – 1975.09.11) & Auxiliary Bishop of Zacapa (1972.04.05 – 1975.09.11); later Metropolitan Archbishop of Guatemala (2001.06.19 – 2010.10.02), President of Episcopal Conference of Guatemala (2002–2006), Cardinal-Priest of S. Saturnino (2003.10.21 [2004.03.13] – 2012.06.04)
• José Aníbal Casasola Sosa (2004.05.13 – 2007.04.27), also Bishop-Prelate of Santo Cristo de Esquipulas (Guatemala) (2004.05.13 – 2007.04.27)
• Rosolino Bianchetti Boffelli (2008.11.20 – 2012.09.14), also Bishop-Prelate of Santo Cristo de Esquipulas (Guatemala) (2008.11.20 – 2012.09.14); later Bishop of Quiché (Guatemala) (2012.09.14 – ...)
• Vacant see (sede vacante): 2012–2016
• Ángel Antonio Recinos Lemus (2016.02.22 – present); until then Subcoordinator of COPADENA for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalapa and Pastor of the "Nuestra Señora de Lourdes" (Our Lady of Lourdes) Parish, in El Progreso Achuapa, Jutiapa

Coadjutor bishop

• Rodolfo Quezada Toruño (1975-1980); future Cardinal

Auxiliary bishop

• Rodolfo Quezada Toruño (1972-1975), appointed Coadjutor here; future Cardinal

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

• Domingo Buezo Leiva, appointed Vicar Apostolic of Izabal in 2013

External links and references

• "Diocese of Zacapa y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2007-02-22.

Sources and external links

• GigaCatholic, with incumbent biography links