Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portoviejo, Ecuador

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Portoviejo / Portus Veteris (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Santo Domingo

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1870.03.23: Established as Diocese of Portoviejo / Portus Veteris (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Quito and Diocese of Guayaquil and became suffragan of Quito)
1945.12.14: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Esmeraldas
1956.01.22: Became suffragan of Guayaquil
1994.02.25: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Portoviejo / Portus Veteris (Latin) (with suffragan see Santo Domingo de los Colorados)

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2019.10.02 – ...):	Archbishop Eduardo José Castillo Pino (54)
Auxiliary Bishop (2024.04.19 – ...):	Bishop Ramiro Alejandro Herrera Herrera (61) Titular Bishop of Medeli

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Portoviejo (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Eduardo José Castillo Pino (54)
(2019.10.02 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Portoviejo (Ecuador)

Plantata juxta rivos

Born:	1970.03.21 (Guayaquil, Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1994.11.20
Consecrated Bishop:	2012.06.01

Priest of Guayaquil (Ecuador) (1994.11.20 – 2012.03.14)

Titular Bishop of Tarasa in Byzacena (2012.03.14 – 2019.10.02)

Auxiliary Bishop of Portoviejo (Ecuador) (2012.03.14 – 2019.10.02)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Portoviejo (Ecuador) (2019.10.02 – ...)

Archbishop Lorenzo Voltolini Esti, O.C.S.O. (76)
(2007.08.06 – 2018.09.14)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Portoviejo (Ecuador)

Ut vitam habeant

Born:	1948.05.20 (Poncarale, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1974.06.15
Consecrated Bishop:	1994.01.12

Priest of Brescia (Italy) (1974.06.15 – 1993.12.07)

Titular Bishop of Besalú (1993.12.07 – 2007.08.06)

Auxiliary Bishop of Portoviejo (Ecuador) (1993.12.07 – 2007.08.06)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Portoviejo (Ecuador) (2007.08.06 – 2018.09.14)

Archbishop José Mario Ruiz Navas
(1994.02.25 – 2007.08.06)

Born:	1930.07.20 (Pujilí, Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1954.04.17
Consecrated Bishop:	1969.01.12
Died:	2020.12.09 (Pujilí, Ecuador † 90)

Bishop of Latacunga (Ecuador) (1968.12.05 – 1989.08.06)

Bishop of Portoviejo (Ecuador) (1989.08.06 – 1994.02.25)

President of Episcopal Conference of Ecuador (1993 – 2002)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Portoviejo (Ecuador) (1994.02.25 – 2007.08.06)

Bishops of Portoviejo (Roman Rite)

Bishop José Mario Ruiz Navas (later Archbishop)
(1989.08.06 – 1994.02.25)

(see above)

Bishop Luis Alfredo Carvajal Rosales
(1967.02.17 – 1989.08.06)

Born:	1913.10.17 (Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1937.07.04
Consecrated Bishop:	1955.10.28
Died:	2003.04.25 († 89)

Auxiliary Bishop of Guayaquil (Ecuador) (1955.07.28 – 1963)

Titular Bishop of Coptus (1955.07.28 – 1967.02.17)

Coadjutor Bishop of Portoviejo (Ecuador) (1963 – 1967.02.17)

Bishop of Portoviejo (Ecuador) (1967.02.17 – 1989.08.06)

Bishop Nicanor Carlos Gavinales Chamorro
(1947.05.30 – 1967.02.17)

Born:	1890.08.06 (Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1915.10.07
Consecrated Bishop:	1947.09.21
Died:	1976.08.11 († 86)

Apostolic Administrator of Portoviejo (Ecuador) (1938 – 1947.05.30)

Bishop of Portoviejo (Ecuador) (1947.05.30 – 1967.02.17)

Titular Bishop of Pauzera (1967.02.17 – 1970.12.22)

Fr. Nicanor Carlos Gavinales Chamorro (later Bishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 1938 – 1947.05.30)

Fr. Emanuele Reyes, S.J.
(Apostolic Administrator 1932 – 1936)

Archbishop Emmanuele Maria Polit
(Apostolic Administrator 1926 – 1932.10.30)

Fr. Virgilio Maldonado
(Apostolic Administrator 1922 – 1926)

Bishop Andrea Machado, S.J.
(Apostolic Administrator 1918 – 1922)

Bishop Juan María Riesa, O.P.
(1907.12.16 – 1912.01.19)

Born:	1866.01.30
Ordained Priest:	1890.08.03
Consecrated Bishop:	1908.05.03
Died:	1915.11.20 († 49)

Bishop of Portoviejo (Ecuador) (1907.12.16 – 1912.01.19)

Bishop of Guayaquil (Ecuador) (1912.01.19 – 1915.11.20)

Bishop Pedro Schumacher, C.M.
(1885.03.27 – 1900.07.15)

Born:	1839.01.11 (Kerpen, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1862.06.14
Consecrated Bishop:	1885.05.31
Died:	1900.07.15 († 61)

Bishop of Portoviejo (Ecuador) (1885.03.27 – 1900.07.15)

Bishop Luis Tola y Avilés
(1871.03.06 – 1884.07)

Born:	1811.03.25 (Ecuador)
Ordained Priest:	1839
Consecrated Bishop:	1863.11.15
Died:	1888 († 77)

Titular Bishop of Berisa (1863.10.01 – 1871.03.06)

Auxiliary Bishop of Guayaquil (Ecuador) (1863.10.01 – 1871.03.06)

Bishop of Portoviejo (Ecuador) (1871.03.06 – 1884.07)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Luis Alfredo Carvajal Rosales (1963 – 1967.02.17)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Vicente Horacio Saeteros Sierra (56) (2020.05.16 – 2022.09.27)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Eduardo José Castillo Pino (54) (later Archbishop) (2012.03.14 – 2019.10.02)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Lorenzo Voltolini Esti, O.C.S.O. (76) (later Archbishop) (1993.12.07 – 2007.08.06)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Francisco Ovidio Vera Intriago (1992.12.16 – 2014.04.21)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral Jesús del Buen Pastor, Portoviejo, Manabí
Minor Basilica: Basílica de Santísima Virgen de Monserrat, Montecristi, Manabí

Galápagos (←), Esmeraldas (↑), Santo Domingo (↗), Daule (↘), Santa Elena (↓)

Statistics (2019.12.31)

Area: 21,000 km²

Population: 1,373,000 Catholics (85.0% of 1,615,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 90 parishes, 1,419 missions

Personnel: 130 priests (82 diocesan, 48 religious), 259 religious (56 brothers, 203 sisters), 17 seminarians