Diocese of Tibú, Colombia

Continent: South America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Tibú / Tibuen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Nueva Pamplona

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1951.08.01: Established as Territorial Prelature of Bertrania en el Catatumbo / Bertraniæ in Catatumbo (Latin) (from Diocese of Nueva Pamplona and Diocese of Santa Marta and became suffragan of Cartagena)
1956.05.29: Became suffragan of Nueva Pamplona
1983.11.16: Renamed as Territorial Prelature of Tibú / Tibuen(sis) (Latin)
1998.12.29: Promoted as Diocese of Tibú / Tibuen(sis) (Latin)

Present Prelates

Bishop (2021.11.05 – ...):

Bishop Israel Bravo Cortés (53)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Tibú (Roman Rite)

Bishop Israel Bravo Cortés (53)
(2021.11.05 – ...)

Bishop of Tibú (Colombia)

Born:	1971.06.04 (El Espinal, Colombia)
Ordained Priest:	1997.02.01
Consecrated Bishop:	2022.02.05

Priest of Cúcuta (Colombia) (1997.02.01 – 2021.11.05)

Bishop of Tibú (Colombia) (2021.11.05 – ...)

Archbishop Jorge Alberto Ossa Soto (68)
(Apostolic Administrator 2020.12.12 – 2021.11.05)

Bishop Omar Alberto Sánchez Cubillos, O.P. (61) (later Archbishop)
(2011.06.08 – 2020.10.12)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Popayán (Colombia)

Non nisi te Domine

Born:	1963.09.20 (Cogua, Colombia)
Ordained Priest:	1990.02.17
Consecrated Bishop:	2011.08.08

Bishop of Tibú (Colombia) (2011.06.08 – 2020.10.12)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Popayán (Colombia) (2020.10.12 – ...)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Colombia (2021.07.04 – 2024.07.02)

Archbishop Ignacio José Gómez Aristizábal (95)
(Apostolic Administrator 2010.03 – 2011.06.08)

Bishop Camilo Fernando Castrellón Pizano, S.D.B. (82)
(2001.04.23 – 2009.12.02)

Bishop emeritus of Barrancabermeja (Colombia)

Born:	1942.09.22 (Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia)
Ordained Priest:	1972.12.02
Consecrated Bishop:	2001.06.06

Bishop of Tibú (Colombia) (2001.04.23 – 2009.12.02)

Bishop of Barrancabermeja (Colombia) (2009.12.02 – 2020.05.29)

Bishop José de Jesús Quintero Díaz (75)
(1998.12.29 – 2000.10.23)

Vicar Apostolic of Leticia (Colombia)
Titular Bishop of Chimæra

Born:	1949.08.15 (Copacabana, Colombia)
Ordained Priest:	1975.07.26
Consecrated Bishop:	1996.03.02

Priest of Istmina–Tadó (Colombia) (1975.07.26 – 1996.01.05)

Bishop-Prelate of Tibú (Colombia) (1996.01.05 – 1998.12.29)

Bishop of Tibú (Colombia) (1998.12.29 – 2000.10.23)

Titular Bishop of Chimæra (2000.10.23 – ...)

Vicar Apostolic of Leticia (Colombia) (2000.10.23 – ...)

Prelates of Tibú (Roman Rite)

Bishop José de Jesús Quintero Díaz (75)
(1996.01.05 – 1998.12.29)

(see above)

Bishop Luis Madrid Merlano (78) (later Archbishop)
(1988.05.21 – 1995.04.19)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Nueva Pamplona (Colombia)

Melior sapientia quam arma

Born:	1946.10.27 (Cartagena, Colombia)
Ordained Priest:	1971.06.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1988.07.03

Priest of Istmina (Colombia) (1971.06.29 – 1988.05.21)

Bishop-Prelate of Tibú (Colombia) (1988.05.21 – 1995.04.19)

Bishop of Cartago (Colombia) (1995.04.19 – 2010.03.30)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Nueva Pamplona (Colombia) (2010.03.30 – 2018.06.06)

Apostolic Administrator of Cúcuta (Colombia) (2010.09.01 – 2011.07.16)

Fr. Tiberio Polanía Ramírez, O.P.
(Apostolic Administrator 1988.03.19 – 1988.05.21)

Bishop Horacio Olave Velandia
(1988.01.21 – 1988.03.17)

Born:	1944.07.03 (Colombia)
Ordained Priest:	1971.01.03
Consecrated Bishop:	1988.02.21
Died:	1988.03.17 († 43)

Bishop-Prelate of Tibú (Colombia) (1988.01.21 – 1988.03.17)

Fr. Tiberio Polanía Ramírez, O.P.
(Apostolic Administrator 1986.04.30 – 1988.01.21)

Bishop Jorge Leonardo Gómez Serna, O.P. (82)
(1985.04.15 – 1986.03.06)

Bishop emeritus of Magangué (Colombia)

Born:	1942.11.07 (Marinilla, Colombia)
Ordained Priest:	1968.08.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1985.07.09

Bishop-Prelate of Tibú (Colombia) (1980.10.09 – 1985.04.15)

Bishop-Prelate of Tibú (Colombia) (1985.04.15 – 1986.03.06)

Bishop of Socorro y San Gil (Colombia) (1986.03.06 – 2001.11.03)

Bishop of Magangué (Colombia) (2001.11.03 – 2012.07.30)

Bishop-elect Jorge Leonardo Gómez Serna, O.P. (82)
(1980.10.09 – 1985.04.15)

(see above)

Prelates of Bertrania en el Catatumbo (Roman Rite)

Fr. Juan José Díaz Plata, O.P.
(1953.09.13 – 1979)

Died:

1979

Bishop-Prelate of Bertrania en el Catatumbo (Colombia) (1953.09.13 – 1979)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral de San Luis Bertran, Tibú, Norte de Santander

Churches by City (19)

Ocaña (←), Valledupar (↑), Machiques (↑), San Cristóbal de Venezuela (↘), Cúcuta (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 7,840 km²

Population: 233,740 Catholics (97.4% of 240,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 17 parishes, 2 missions

Personnel: 29 priests (24 diocesan, 5 religious), 1 deacon, 18 religious (10 brothers, 8 sisters), 3 seminarians