Archdiocese of Cali

Contents

The Archdiocese of Cali (Latin: Archidioecesis Caliensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Colombia. Its episcopal see is located in the city of Cali.

History

On 7 June 1910, the Diocese of Cali was established from part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Popayán. On 20 June 1964, the Diocese was promoted to Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cali.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the Archdiocese struggled with Cali's explosive population growth, with the number of priests and Religious not rising as fast.[1]

During the 1990s and early 2000s, the Cali area was subject to organized crime, attempted murders, and revolution. The Archbishop and priests of the Archdiocese were outspoken against violent crimes, and in favor of charity. For his temerity in criticizing gangsters and terrorists, in March 2002, Archbishop Duarte was assassinated by gang members, which made him a martyr of the Church.[2][3]

Bishops

Ordinaries

  • Bishops of Cali
  • Archbishops of Cali Alberto Uribe Urdaneta (1964.06.20 – 1985.02.07); Pedro Rubiano Sáenz (1985.02.07 – 1994.12.27), appointed Archbishop of Bogotá (Cardinal in 2001); Isaías Duarte Cancino (1995.08.19 – 2002.03.16) [2][3]; Juan Francisco Sarasti Jaramillo, C.I.M. (2002.08.17 – 2011.05.18); Darío de Jesús Monsalve Mejía (2011.05.18 – 2022.12.08); Luis Fernando Rodríguez Velásquez (2022.12.08 – present)

Coadjutor archbishops

Auxiliary bishops

  • Miguel Antonio Medina y Medina (1952–1959), appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Medellín
  • Augusto Aristizábal Ospina (1969–1977), appointed Bishop of Jericó
  • Juan Francisco Sarasti Jaramillo, C.I.M. (1978–1983), appointed Bishop of Barrancabermeja (later returned here as Archbishop)
  • Héctor Luis Gutiérrez Pabón (1987–1998), appointed Bishop of Chiquinquirá
  • Alfonso Cabezas Aristizábal, C.M. (1988–1992), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Villavicencio
  • Julio Enrique Prado Bolaños (1992–1995), appointed Bishop of Pasto
  • Edgar de Jesús Garcia Gil (1992–2002), appointed Bishop of Montelibano
  • José Soleibe Arbeláez (1999–2002), appointed Bishop of Caldas
  • Luis Adriano Piedrahíta Sandoval (1999–2007), appointed Bishop of Apartadó
  • Gonzalo Restrepo Restrepo (2003–2006), appointed Bishop of Girardota
  • Julio Hernando García Peláez (2005–2010), appointed Bishop of Istmina-Tadó
  • José Alejandro Castaño Arbeláez, O.A.R. (2006–2010), appointed Bishop of Cartago
  • José Daniel Falla Robles (2009–2016), appointed Bishop of Soacha
  • Luis Fernando Rodríguez Velásquez (2014–2022), appointed coadjutor here and succeeded in the same year
  • Juan Carlos Cárdenas Toro (2015–2020), appointed Bishop of Pasto
  • Luis Fernando de Jesús Pérez Agudelo (since 2026)
  • Arnulfo Moreno Quiñonez (since 2026)

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

Suffragan dioceses

References

  1. 1.Levine, Daniel H. (2014). Popular Voices in Latin American Catholicism. Princeton University Press. pp. 116–118. ISBN 9781400862610. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  2. 2.[2.2]Rose, Michael S. (2003). Priest: Portraits of Ten Good Men Serving the Church Today. Sophia Institute Press. pp. 109, 114–115. ISBN 9781928832713. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  3. 3.[3.2]"Pope mourns slain archbishop: The archbishop, who was a critic of Colombian guerrilla groups, was shot several times". CNN. 16 March 2002. Retrieved 22 March 2026. Pope John Paul II has paid tribute to a Colombian archbishop who was gunned down in a street. Two gunmen shot and killed Archbishop Isaias Duarte Cancino, 63, on Saturday after he left a church in Cali. No one has claimed responsibility for killing Duarte, who was known for his outspoken criticism of Colombia's rebels. The pope named Duarte archbishop in Cali -- 300 kilometers (185 miles) southwest of Bogota, the Colombian capital -- in August 1995.