Diocese of Canarias Dioecesis Canariensis Diócesis de Canarias | |
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Location | |
Country | ![]() |
Ecclesiastical province | Seville |
Metropolitan | Seville |
Statistics | |
Area | 4,106 km2 (1,585 sq mi) |
Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2006) 1,011,928 860,139 (85.0%) |
Information | |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Rite | Latin Rite |
Established | 7 July 1406 |
Cathedral | Cathedral Basilica of St Anne in Las Palmas |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Bishop | José Mazuelos Pérez |
Metropolitan Archbishop | José Ángel Saiz Meneses |
Bishops emeritus | Francisco Cases Andreu |
Map | |
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Website | |
Website of the Diocese |
The Diocese of Canarias or Diocese Canariense-Rubicense (Latin : Dioecesis Canariensis) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church located in the Canary Islands in the ecclesiastical province of Seville in Spain. [1] [2] The dioceses includes the islands of Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote (Oriental Province). However, it does not include the whole archipelago, since the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna (or Tenerife or Nivariense) includes the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
In 1351, Pope Clement VI issued the bull "Coelestis rex regum", which established the diocese of the Islas de la Fortuna, separating it from the diocese of Majorca. In 1369 Pope Urban V issued a bull renaming it the Diocese of Telde, extending its jurisdiction to the island of Gran Canaria. In 1441 this diocese was abolished. [3]
On July 7, 1404, Pope Benedict XIII issued the bull "Romanus Pontifex", which established the Diocese of Rubicon, which extended its jurisdiction to the island of Lanzarote. [4] On November 20, 1424, the Diocese of Rubicón ceded part of its territory for the construction of the Diocese of Fuerteventura, which was dissolved in 1433, its territory passing into the hands of the Diocese of Rubicón.
On August 25, 1435, Pope Eugene IV issued a decree transferring the seat of the Diocese of Rubicon to the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. In 1485, the Diocese of Rubicon was renamed the Diocese of the Canary Islands and Rubicon.
The first two native saints of the Canary Islands, Joseph of Anchieta (1534-1597) and Peter of Betancur (1626-1667), although of Tenerife origin, were born in this diocese when it still included the entire archipelago. [5] Considered the two most important religious figures that the Canary Islands have given, they carried out great missionary and apostolic work on the American continent.
In 1630, the Diocese of the Canary Islands ceded part of its territory to form the Apostolic Prefecture of Tripoli (today the Apostolic Vicariate of Tripoli).
In 1787, 746 diocesan priests were registered, including secular and regular clergy. At the end of the 18th century, the diocese comprised 36 parishes with benefices, whose parish priests were appointed by the king, and 50 "cural" parishes, whose parish priests were appointed by the bishops and received a salary from the diocesan curia. The majority of the parishes were located on the island of Tenerife, with 16 charitable parishes and 22 curacies. [6] The religious subdivision into parishes was used, at the beginning of the 19th century, for the administrative subdivision of the Canary Islands. [7]
On February 1, 1819 and August 10, 1838, the Diocese of the Canary Islands ceded part of its territory for the construction of the new Diocese of San Cristóbal de la Laguna and the Diocese of Algiers (today the Archdiocese of Algeria). There are currently two dioceses in the Canary Islands, one of which, "Diocese of the Canary Islands", for this reason, the use of the name of the archipelago is currently a very controversial topic in the Canary Islands. [8] [9]
It has recently emerged between the society of Lanzarote the desire to recover the diocesan headquarters of Rubicon. [10] [11]
Erected: 7 July 1406
Name Changed: 1485
The diocese of the Canary Islands included the entire archipelago for more than four centuries, until 1819 when the diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna or Tenerife was created. For this reason, the saints and blesseds currently venerated in the archipelago were born in this diocese, and some of them are venerated equally in both Canarian bishoprics, especially those born or linked to the territory currently occupied by the diocese of Tenerife or Nivariense: