Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mérida, Venezuela

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Mérida / Emeriten(sis) in Venetiola (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Barinas, Guasdualito, San Cristóbal de Venezuela, Trujillo

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Website:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Inmaculada Concepción (December 8)

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1778.02.16: Established as Diocese of Mérida / Emeriten(sis) in Venetiola (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santafé en Nueva Granada and Diocese of Caracas and became suffragan of Santafé en Nueva Granada)
1803.11.24: Became suffragan of Caracas
1863.03.07: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Barquisimeto and Diocese of Calabozo
1897.07.28: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Zulia
1922.10.12: Lost territory to establish Diocese of San Cristóbal de Venezuela
1923.06.11: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mérida / Emeriten(sis) in Venetiola (Latin) (with suffragan see San Cristóbal de Venezuela)
1957.06.04: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Trujillo and gained suffragan see Trujillo
1965.07.23: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Barinas and gained suffragan sees Barinas and Cabimas
1966.04.30: Lost suffragan see Cabimas
1994.07.07: Lost territory to establish Diocese of El Vigía–San Carlos del Zulia
2015.12.03: Gained suffragan see Guasdualito

Contact Info

Address: Avenida 4 con Calle 23, Frente a la Plaza Bolívar, Apdo. 26, Mérida 5101-A, Estado Mérida, Venezuela

Papal Visits

Pope John Paul II (1985.01)

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2023.01.31 – ...):

Archbishop Helizandro Emiro Terán Bermúdez, O.S.A. (59)

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Mérida (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Helizandro Emiro Terán Bermúdez, O.S.A. (59)
(2023.01.31 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Mérida (Venezuela)

Born:	1965.06.07 (Maracaibo, Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1995.09.09
Consecrated Bishop:	2017.09.23

Bishop of Ciudad Guayana (Venezuela) (2017.07.29 – 2022.03.19)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (2022.03.19 – 2023.01.31)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (2023.01.31 – ...)

Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo (80)
(1991.10.30 – 2023.01.31)

Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Giovanni Evangelista e Petronio
Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Caracas (Venezuela)

In nomine tuo

Born:	1944.10.10 (Caracas, Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1967.07.30
Consecrated Bishop:	1983.09.17
Created Cardinal:	2016.11.19

Priest of Calabozo (Venezuela) (1967.07.30 – 1983.07.23)

Titular Bishop of Lamdia (1983.07.23 – 1991.10.30)

Auxiliary Bishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1983.07.23 – 1991.10.30)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1991.10.30 – 2023.01.31)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (1993 – 1999)

Apostolic Administrator of San Cristóbal de Venezuela (Venezuela) (1998.03.02 – 1999.04.14)

President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (1999 – 2006)

First Vice-President of Latin American Episcopal Council (2007.07.12 – 2011.05.19)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (2009 – 2012)

Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Giovanni Evangelista e Petronio (2016.11.19 [2017.06.11] – ...)

Apostolic Administrator of Caracas (Venezuela) (2018.07.09 – 2023.01.17)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Caracas (Venezuela) (2023.01.17 – 2024.06.28)

Archbishop Miguel Antonio Salas Salas, C.I.M.
(1979.08.20 – 1991.10.30)

Born:	1915.09.29 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1943.03.24
Consecrated Bishop:	1961.02.02
Died:	2003.10.30 († 88)

Bishop of Calabozo (Venezuela) (1961.01.16 – 1979.08.20)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1979.08.20 – 1991.10.30)

Archbishop Angel Pérez Cisneros
(1972.08.30 – 1979.08.20)

Born:	1911.09.30 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1937.07.01
Consecrated Bishop:	1960.07.25
Died:	1987.11.26 († 76)

Bishop of Barcelona (Venezuela) (1960.05.23 – 1969.07.25)

Titular Archbishop of Castello (1969.07.25 – 1972.08.30)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1969.07.25 – 1972.08.30)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1972.08.30 – 1979.08.20)

Archbishop José Rafael Pulido Méndez
(1966.11.22 – 1972.08.30)

Born:	1907.10.24 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1930.08.10
Consecrated Bishop:	1958.10.19
Died:	1972.08.30 († 64)

Bishop of Maracaibo (Venezuela) (1958.06.21 – 1961.01.16)

Titular Archbishop of Cyrrhus (1961.01.16 – 1966.11.22)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1961.01.16 – 1966.11.22)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1966.11.22 – 1972.08.30)

Archbishop Acacio Chacón Guerra
(1927.08.01 – 1966.11.22)

Born:	1884.06.08 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1907.11.01
Consecrated Bishop:	1926.08.29
Died:	1978.03.02 († 93)

Titular Archbishop of Milevum (1926.05.10 – 1927.08.01)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1926.05.10 – 1927.08.01)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1927.08.01 – 1966.11.22)

President of Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (1958 – 1961)

Titular Archbishop of Scebatiana (1966.12.15 – 1971.01.19)

Archbishop Antonio Ramón Silva
(1923.06.11 – 1927.08.01)

Born:	1850.06.26 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1873.09.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1895.01.13
Died:	1927.08.01 († 77)

Bishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1894.05.21 – 1923.06.11)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1923.06.11 – 1927.08.01)

Bishops of Mérida (Roman Rite)

Bishop Antonio Ramón Silva (later Archbishop)
(1894.05.21 – 1923.06.11)

(see above)

Bishop Román Lovera
(1880.08.20 – 1892)

Born:	1839.08.09 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1865.04.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1881.01.23
Died:	1892 († 53)

Bishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1880.08.20 – 1892)

Bishop Juan Hilario Bosset
(1842.01.27 – 1873)

Born:	1799.01.14 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1822.06.01
Consecrated Bishop:	1842.05.08
Died:	1873 († 74)

Bishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1842.01.27 – 1873)

Bishop José Vicente de Unda
(1836.07.11 – 1840.07.19)

Born:	1777.01.30 (Venezuela)
Ordained Priest:	1800.03.08
Consecrated Bishop:	1836.11.27
Died:	1840.07.19 († 63)

Bishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1836.07.11 – 1840.07.19)

Bishop José Buenaventura Arias Bergara
(1828.12.22 – 1831.11.21)

Born:	1772.03.02
Consecrated Bishop:	1827.08.19
Died:	1831.11.21 († 59)

Auxiliary Bishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1826.10.02 – 1828.12.22)

Titular Bishop of Hiericho (1826.10.02 – 1831.11.21)

Bishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1828.12.22 – 1831.11.21)

Bishop Rafael Lasso de la Vega
(1815.03.08 – 1827.05.21)

Born:	1764.10.21 (Panama)
Ordained Priest:	1792
Consecrated Bishop:	1816.12.11
Died:	1831.04.16 († 66)

Bishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1815.03.08 – 1827.05.21)

Bishop of Quito (Ecuador) (1827.05.21 – 1831.04.16)

Bishop Santiago Hernández Milanés
(1801.07.20 – 1812.03.26)

Born:	1755.02.28 (Spain)
Consecrated Bishop:	1802.07.11
Died:	1812.03.26 († 57)

Bishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1801.07.20 – 1812.03.26)

Bishop Antonio de Espinosa, O.P.
(1795.12.18 – 1800.09.23)

Born:	1735.08.26 (Spain)
Consecrated Bishop:	1796.02.21
Died:	1800.09.23 († 65)

Bishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1795.12.18 – 1800.09.23)

Bishop Cándido Manuel de Torrijos
(1791.12.19 – 1794.11.20)

Born:	1735.11.13 (Colombia)
Consecrated Bishop:	1793.04.21
Died:	1794.11.20 († 59)

Bishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1791.12.19 – 1794.11.20)

Bishop Juan Ramos de Lora, O.F.M.
(1782.09.23 – 1790.11.09)

Born:	1722.06.23 (Spain)
Ordained Priest:	1746.09.24
Consecrated Bishop:	1783.06.22
Died:	1790.11.09 († 68)

Bishop of Mérida (Venezuela) (1782.09.23 – 1790.11.09)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop José Humberto Quintero Parra (later Cardinal) (1953.09.07 – 1960.08.31)
Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop Helizandro Emiro Terán Bermúdez, O.S.A. (59) (2022.03.19 – 2023.01.31)
Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop Angel Pérez Cisneros (1969.07.25 – 1972.08.30)
Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop José Rafael Pulido Méndez (1961.01.16 – 1966.11.22)
Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop Acacio Chacón Guerra (1926.05.10 – 1927.08.01)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Luis Enrique Rojas Ruiz (56) (2017.06.19 – 2023.07.12)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Alfredo Enrique Torres Rondón (74) (2013.07.15 – 2016.07.15)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Luis Alfonso Márquez Molina, C.I.M. (87) (2001.10.18 – 2013.07.15)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Juan María Leonardi Villasmil (1994.01.27 – 1997.07.12)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo (80) (later Cardinal) (1983.07.23 – 1991.10.30)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop José Buenaventura Arias Bergara (1826.10.02 – 1828.12.22)

Special Churches

Cathedral, Minor Basilica: Catedral Basílica Menor de la Inmaculada Concepción de Mérida, Mérida, Mérida
Minor Basilica: Basílica de Santa Lucía, Timotes, Mérida

Churches by City (74)

San Cristóbal de Venezuela (↙), El Vigía–San Carlos del Zulia (←), Trujillo (↗), Barinas (→)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 8,109 km²

Population: 656,000 Catholics (86.3% of 760,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 69 parishes, 11 missions

Personnel: 130 priests (100 diocesan, 30 religious), 19 deacons, 233 religious (83 brothers, 150 sisters), 45 seminarians