Archdiocese of Concepción

Archdiocese of Concepción

*Archidioecesis Sanctissimae Conceptionis*

Arquidiócesis de Concepción
Archdiocese of Concepción; Archidioecesis Sanctissimae Conceptionis; Arquidiócesis de Concepción
Catholic
	Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Location
Country	Chile
Ecclesiastical province	Concepción
Statistics
Area	11,330 km2 (4,370 sq mi)
Population Total; Catholics;	(as of 2006); 1,176,000; 612,000 (52.0%);
Information
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	22 March 1563 (463 years ago)
Cathedral	Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Patron saint	Immaculate Conception
Current leadership
Pope	‹See Tfd›Leo XIV
Metropolitan Archbishop	Mons. Sergio Hernán Pérez de Arce Arraigada, SS.CC.
Auxiliary Bishops	Bernardo Andrés Álvarez Tapia ; Óscar Walter García Barreto
Map
Website
	www.arzobispadodeconcepcion.cl

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Concepción (Latin: Sanctissimae Conceptionis) is an archdiocese located in the city of Concepción in Chile.

History

22 March 1563: Established as Diocese of La Imperial from the Diocese of Santiago de Chile
1603: Renamed as Diocese of Concepción
20 May 1939: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Concepción

Ordinaries

Bishops of La Imperial

Antonio Avendaño y Paz, OFM (22 Mar 1564 – 9 Mar 1588 Appointed, Bishop of Quito)
Agustín de Cisneros Montesa (9 Mar 1589 – 1596 Died)
Reginaldo de Lizárraga, OP (31 Aug 1598 – 20 Jul 1609 Appointed, Bishop of Paraguay)

Bishops of Concepción

Carlos Marcelo Corni Velazquez (18 Oct 1618 – 17 Aug 1620 Appointed, Bishop of Trujillo)
Luis Jerónimo Oré, OFM (17 Aug 1620 – 30 Jan 1630 Died)
Diego de Zambrana de Villalobos y Cordero (14 Mar 1633 – 12 Dec 1652 Died)
Dionisio de Cimbrón, OCist (23 Jun 1653 – 19 Sep 1661 Died)
Francisco de Loyola y Vergara, OSA (15 Jul 1669 – Nov 1677 Died)
Antonio de Morales, OP (25 May 1682 – Dec 1683 Died)
Luis de Lemos y Usategui, OSA (16 Sep 1686 – 27 Nov 1692 Resigned)
Martín de Híjar y Mendoza, OSA (13 Apr 1693 – 15 May 1704 Died)
Diego Montero del Aguila (3 Oct 1708 – 21 Jan 1715 Appointed, Bishop of Trujillo)
Juan de Necolalde (1 Apr 1715 – 12 May 1723 Appointed, Archbishop of La Plata o Charcas)
Juan Francisco Antonio de Escandón, CR (12 May 1723 – 18 Jun 1731 Appointed, Archbishop of Lima)
Salvador Bermúdez y Becerra (18 Jun 1731 – 28 Feb 1734 Confirmed, Bishop of La Paz)
Andrés Paredes Polanco y Armendáriz (28 Feb 1734- 28 Feb 1735, became Bishop of Quito)
Pedro Felipe de Azúa e Iturgoyen (28 Feb 1735 – 18 Dec 1744 Confirmed, Archbishop of Santafé en Nueva Granada)
José de Toro y Zambrano (18 Dec 1744 – 1 May 1760 Died)
Pedro Ángel de Espiñeira, OFM (23 Nov 1761 – 9 Feb 1778 Died)
Francisco José Marán (1 Mar 1779 – 12 Sep 1794 Appointed, Bishop of Santiago de Chile)
Tomás de Roa y Alarcón (12 Sep 1794 – 5 Sep 1805 Died)
Diego Antonio Navarro Martín de Villodras (26 Aug 1806 – 16 Mar 1818 Confirmed, Archbishop of La Plata o Charcas)
José Ignacio Cienfuegos Arteaga (17 Dec 1832 – 27 Apr 1840 Retired)
Diego Antonio Elizondo y Prado (27 Apr 1840 – 5 Oct 1852 Died)
José Hipólito Salas y Toro (23 Jun 1854 – 20 Jul 1883 Died)
Fernando Blaitt Mariño (17 Dec 1886 – 14 Jul 1887 Died)
Plácido Labarca Olivares (26 Jun 1890 – 9 Oct 1905 Died)
Luis Enrique Izquierdo Vargas (29 Jan 1906 – 7 Aug 1917 Died)
Gilberto Fuenzalida Guzmán (20 Feb 1918 – 24 Mar 1938 Died)

Archbishops of Concepción

Alfredo Silva Santiago (4 February 1939 – 27 April 1963 Resigned)
Manuel Sánchez Beguiristáin (25 June 1963 – 3 May 1983 Retired)
José Manuel Santos Ascarza, OCD (3 May 1983 – 29 July 1988 Resigned)
Antonio Moreno Casamitjana (14 October 1989 – 27 December 2006 Retired)
Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, SDB (27 December 2006 – 15 December 2010 Appointed, Archbishop of Santiago de Chile; Cardinal in 2014)
Fernando Chomalí Garib (20 April 2011 Appointed – 25 October 2023)
Sergio Hernán Pérez de Arce Arraigada, SS.CC.(16 May 2024 - ...)

Other affiliated bishops

Coadjutor archbishop

Arturo Mery Beckdorf (1955–1963), did not succeed to see; appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of La Serena

Auxiliary bishops

Pedro Felipe de Azúa e Iturgoyen (1735–1742), appointed Bishop here
Carlos Oviedo Cavada, OdeM (1964–1974), appointed Archbishop of Antofagasta; future Cardinal
Sergio Otoniel Contreras Navia (1974–1977), appointed Bishop of Temuco
Alejandro Goić Karmelić (1979–1991), appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Talca
Pedro Felipe Bacarreza Rodríguez (1991–2006), appointed Bishop of Los Angeles
Tomislav Koljatic Maroevic (1997–2003), appointed Bishop of Linares
Pedro Mario Ossandón Buljevic (2008–2011), appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Santiago de Chile

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

Alonso del Pozo y Silva, appointed Bishop of Córdoba (Tucumán), Argentina in 1713
José Antonio Humeres y Miranda, appointed Bishop of Panamá in 1777
Andrés Quintian Ponte de Andrade, appointed Bishop of Cuenca, Ecuador in 1805
Ricardo Sepúlveda Hermosilla, appointed Vicar General of Temuco in 1908 (titular bishop in 1911)
Reinaldo Muñoz Olave, appointed Vicar General of Chillán (and titular bishop) in 1916

Suffragan dioceses

References

↑ "Rinunce e nomine". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 2026-05-16.
↑ "Archdiocese of Concepción (Santissima Concezione)" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016
↑ "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Concepción" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016
1 2 3 4 5 6 Gauchat, Patritius (Patrice) (1935). Hierarchia catholica medii et recentioris aevi. Vol. IV. Münster: Libraria Regensbergiana. p. 158. (in Latin)
↑ "Resignations and Appointments, 25.10.2023" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
↑ "Resignations and Appointments". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 2026-05-16.

Sources

36°49′39″S 73°03′05″W / 36.8276°S 73.0514°W / -36.8276; -73.0514

[1] "Rinunce e nomine". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 2026-05-16.

[CathHierConcepción-2] "Archdiocese of Concepción (Santissima Concezione)" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016

[GCathConcepción-3] "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Concepción" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016

[HierarchiaIV-Concepción-4] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gauchat, Patritius (Patrice) (1935). Hierarchia catholica medii et recentioris aevi. Vol. IV. Münster: Libraria Regensbergiana. p. 158. (in Latin)

[5] "Resignations and Appointments, 25.10.2023" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.

[6] "Resignations and Appointments". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 2026-05-16.

v t e Catholic dioceses in Chile
Province of Antofagasta	Archdiocese of Antofagasta Diocese of Arica Diocese of San Juan de Calama Diocese of Iquique
Province of Concepción	Archdiocese of Concepción Diocese of Chillán Diocese of Santa María de Los Ángeles Diocese of Temuco Diocese of Valdivia Diocese of Villarrica
Province of La Serena	Archdiocese of La Serena Diocese of Copiapó Territorial Prelature of Illapel
Province of Puerto Montt	Archdiocese of Puerto Montt Diocese of Osorno Diocese of Punta Arenas Diocese of San Carlos de Ancud
Province of Santiago de Chile	Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile Diocese of Linares Diocese of Melipilla Diocese of Rancagua Diocese of San Bernardo Diocese of San Felipe Diocese of Talca Diocese of Valparaíso
Sui iuris jurisdictions	Military Bishopric of Chile Apostolic Vicariate of Aysén