Diocese of Machiques
| Diocese of Machiques Dioecesis Machiquesensis | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | Venezuela |
| Metropolitan | Maracaibo |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 25,300 km2 (9,800 sq mi) |
| Population Total Catholics |
(as of 2023) 359,918 292,000 (81.1%) |
| Parishes | 17 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 26 May 1943 |
| Cathedral | Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral |
| Secular priests | 17 (14 Diocesan, 3 Religious Orders) |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| Bishop | sede vacante |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | José Luis Azuaje Ayala |
| Bishops emeritus | Ramiro Díaz Sánchez, OMI |
Diocese of Machiques — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Machiques (Latin: Dioecesis Machiquesensis) is a diocese located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maracaibo in Venezuela.
History
- 26 May 1943: Pope Pius XII erected the Apostolic Vicariate of Machiques.
- 9 April 2011: The Vicariate was elevated to the Diocese of Machiques by Pope Benedict XVI.
Ordinaries
Apostolic Vicars of Machiques (Roman Rite)
- Ángel Turrado Moreno, OFMCap (4 Sep 1944 – Jan 1954), resigned
- Miguel Saturnino Aurrecoechea Palacios, OFMCap (19 Dec 1955 – 10 Mar 1986), retired
- Agustín Romualdo Alvarez Rodríguez, OFMCap (10 Mar 1986 – 7 Oct 1995), resigned
- Ramiro Díaz Sánchez, OMI (24 Jan 1997 – 9 Apr 2011), retired
Bishops of Machiques (Roman Rite)
- Jesús Alfonso Guerrero Contreras, OFMCap (9 Apr 2011 – 21 Dec 2018), appointed Bishop of Barinas
- Apostolic Administrator Ramiro Díaz Sánchez, OMI (15 Mar 2019 – 14 Dec 2019), Vicar Apostolic Emeritus of Machiques
- Nicolás Gregorio Nava Rojas (19 Oct 2019 – 18 Apr 2026), appointed Bishop of Cabimas
See also
Canonical status and jurisdiction
Roman Catholic Diocese of Machiques is a diocese of the catholic church of the Catholic Church.[1]
- Part of: Ecclesiastical Province of Maracaibo