Diocese of Barinas, Venezuela

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Barinas / Barinen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Mérida

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1965.07.23: Established as Diocese of Barinas / Barinen(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mérida and Diocese of Calabozo and became suffragan of Mérida)
2015.12.03: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Guasdualito

Contact Info

Address: Calle Briceño Méndez, frente a la Plaza Bolívar, Apartado postal N°2, Barinas, Estado Barinas, Venezuela

Present Prelates

Bishop (2018.12.21 – ...):

Bishop Jesús Alfonso Guerrero Contreras, O.F.M. Cap. (73)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Barinas (Roman Rite)

Bishop Jesús Alfonso Guerrero Contreras, O.F.M. Cap. (73)
(2018.12.21 – ...)

Bishop of Barinas (Venezuela)

Born:	1951.01.13 (La Pedregoza, Spain)
Ordained Priest:	1977.12.10
Consecrated Bishop:	1996.01.20

Titular Bishop of Leptiminus (1995.12.06 – 2011.04.09)

Vicar Apostolic of Caroní (Venezuela) (1995.12.06 – 2011.04.09)

Bishop of Machiques (Venezuela) (2011.04.09 – 2018.12.21)

Bishop of Barinas (Venezuela) (2018.12.21 – ...)

Bishop José Luis Azuaje Ayala (67) (later Archbishop)
(2013.08.30 – 2018.05.24)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Maracaibo (Venezuela)
First Vice-President of Latin American Episcopal Council

Born:	1957.12.06 (Valera, Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1984.05.05
Consecrated Bishop:	1999.05.29

Priest of Trujillo (Venezuela) (1984.05.05 – 1999.03.18)

Titular Bishop of Italica (1999.03.18 – 2006.07.15)

Auxiliary Bishop of Barquisimeto (Venezuela) (1999.03.18 – 2006.07.15)

General Secretary of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (2001 – 2006)

Apostolic Administrator of El Vigía–San Carlos del Zulia (Venezuela) (2005 – 2006.07.15)

Bishop of El Vigía–San Carlos del Zulia (Venezuela) (2006.07.15 – 2013.08.30)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (2012.01.12 – 2018.01.09)

Bishop of Barinas (Venezuela) (2013.08.30 – 2018.05.24)

President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (2018.01.09 – 2022.01.07)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Maracaibo (Venezuela) (2018.05.24 – ...)

First Vice-President of Latin American Episcopal Council (2023.05.17 – ...)

Bishop Ramón Antonio Linares Sandoval (88)
(2002.07.16 – 2013.08.30)

Bishop emeritus of Barinas (Venezuela)

Born:	1936.12.26 (San Carlos, Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1963.07.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1994.10.15

Bishop of Puerto Cabello (Venezuela) (1994.07.05 – 2002.07.16)

Bishop of Barinas (Venezuela) (2002.07.16 – 2013.08.30)

Apostolic Administrator of Acarigua–Araure (Venezuela) (2013.12 – 2015.08.10)

Bishop Antonio José López Castillo (later Archbishop)
(1992.08.01 – 2001.12.27)

El Señor es mi pastor, nada me falta

Born:	1945.07.09 (Maracaibo, Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1970.07.18
Consecrated Bishop:	1988.05.28
Died:	2021.07.18 (Maracaibo, Venezuela † 76)

Titular Bishop of Theuzi (1988.02.26 – 1992.08.01)

Auxiliary Bishop of Maracaibo (Venezuela) (1988.02.26 – 1992.08.01)

Bishop of Barinas (Venezuela) (1992.08.01 – 2001.12.27)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Calabozo (Venezuela) (2001.12.27 – 2007.12.22)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Barquisimeto (Venezuela) (2007.12.22 – 2020.03.25)

Bishop Rafael Angel González Ramírez
(1965.07.23 – 1992.08.01)

Born:	1916.08.12 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1941.10.15
Consecrated Bishop:	1965.08.22
Died:	2007.05.10 († 90)

Bishop of Barinas (Venezuela) (1965.07.23 – 1992.08.01)

Former Prelates

Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Alejandro Figueroa Medina (1986.03.12 – 1995.02.21)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop José Vicente Henriquez Andueza, S.D.B. (1980.06.26 – 1985)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, Barinas, Barinas

San Cristóbal de Venezuela (↙), Mérida (←), Trujillo (↑), Guanare (↗), San Carlos de Venezuela (↗), Calabozo (→), San Fernando de Apure (↘), Guasdualito (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 35,200 km²

Population: 792,000 Catholics (80.2% of 987,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 45 parishes

Personnel: 71 priests (56 diocesan, 15 religious), 15 deacons, 38 religious (16 brothers, 22 sisters), 48 seminarians