Roman Catholic Diocese of Rancagua
| Diocese of Rancagua Dioecesis Rancaguensis Diócesis de Rancagua | |
|---|---|
 The Cathedral of Rancagua | |
| Location | |
| Country | Chile |
| Ecclesiastical province | Santiago de Chile |
| Metropolitan | Santiago de Chile |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 16,042 km2 (6,194 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2010) 869,000 699,000 (80.4%) |
| Parishes | 64 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Established | 18 October 1925 (91 years ago) |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Rancagua |
| Patron saint | Holy Cross |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Alejandro Goic Karmelic |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Ricardo Ezzati Andrello |
| Emeritus Bishops | Francisco Javier Prado Aránguiz |
| Website | |
| Website of the Diocese | |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rancagua (in Latin: Dioecesis Rancaguensis) is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile. The diocese was established on 18 October 1925 as Diócesis de Santa Cruz de Rancagua, by Pope Pius XII by means of the papal bull Apostolici muneris ratio.
The current bishop is Msgr. Alejandro Goic Karmelic, the president of the Chilean Conference of Catholic bishops. The retired (emeritus) bishop is Msgr. Francisco Javier Prado Aránguiz, SS.CC.
Diocesan statistics
The diocese comprises the three provinces of the O'Higgins Region of Chile: Cachapoal, Colchagua and Cardenal Caro, with the exception of the comuna of Navidad, of the latter province, which belongs to the diocese of Melipilla. It covers a territory of 16,042 km2 (6,194 sq mi) and has 63 parishes. It is estimated that 80 percent of the population of the diocese is Catholic. This figure represents about 625,000 Catholics out of a total population of 781,000 persons.
The diocesan cathedral is located in the city of Rancagua.
Bishops of Rancagua
| Name | Reign began | Reign ended | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rafael Lira Infante † | 14 December 1925 | 18 March 1938 | Appointed bishop of Valparaíso |
| Eduardo Larraín Cordovez † | 9 July 1938 | 2 February 1970 | Retired |
| Alejandro Durán Moreira † | 2 February 1970 | 30 May 1986 | Retired |
| Jorge Medina Estévez | 25 November 1987 | 16 April 1993 | Appointed bishop of Valparaíso; Cardinal Protodeacon until 2007 |
| Francisco Javier Prado Aránguiz | 16 April 1993 | 23 April 2004 | Retired |
| Alejandro Goic Karmelic | 27 October 1994 | 10 July 2003 | Translated from Osorno |
External links
| Province of Antofagasta | |
|---|---|
| Province of Concepción | |
| Province of La Serena | |
| Province of Puerto Montt | |
| Province of Santiago de Chile | |
| Sui iuris Jurisdictions | |
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