Diocese of Valparaíso, Chile

Special Churches

Cathedral, World Heritage Site (Minor): Catedral Espíritu Santo y la Virgen del Carmen, Valparaíso, Valparaíso
Shrines in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy

Churches by City (73)

San Felipe (↗), Santiago (→), Melipilla (↓)

Present Prelates

Bishop (2021.06.08 – ...):

Bishop Jorge Patricio Vega Velasco, S.V.D. (65)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Valparaíso (Roman Rite)

Bishop Jorge Patricio Vega Velasco, S.V.D. (65)
(2021.06.08 – ...)

Bishop of Valparaíso (Chile)

Y el verbo se hizo carne

Born:	1957.06.12 (Santiago, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1984.12.22
Consecrated Bishop:	2010.04.17

Bishop-Prelate of Illapel (Chile) (2010.02.20 – 2021.06.08)

Bishop of Valparaíso (Chile) (2021.06.08 – ...)

Bishop Pedro Mario Ossandón Buljevic (65)
(Apostolic Administrator 2018.06.11 – 2021.06.08)

Bishop Gonzalo Duarte García de Cortázar, SS.CC. (80)
(1998.12.04 – 2018.06.11)

Bishop emeritus of Valparaíso (Chile)

Dominus Fortitudo Mea

Born:	1942.09.27 (Valparaiso, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1968.07.08
Consecrated Bishop:	1995.04.02

Titular Bishop of Lamiggiga (1995.01.31 – 1998.03.07)

Military Ordinary of Chile (Chile) (1995.01.31 – 1999.01.04)

Bishop of Valparaíso (Chile) (1998.12.04 – 2018.06.11)

Archbishop Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa, I.Sch. (89) (later Cardinal)
(1996.09.24 – 1998.04.24)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria della Pace
Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Santiago (Chile)

Ut vitam habeant

Born:	1933.09.05 (Santiago, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1961.07.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1991.01.06
Created Cardinal:	2001.02.21

Superior General of Institute of Schönstatt Fathers (1974 – 1990.12.22)

Titular Archbishop of Hólar (1990.12.22 – 1996.09.24)

Secretary of Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life (1990.12.22 – 1996.09.24)

Archbishop-Bishop of Valparaíso (Chile) (1996.09.24 – 1998.04.24)

President of Episcopal Conference of Chile (1998 – 2004)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Santiago (Chile) (1998.04.24 – 2010.12.15)

First Vice-President of Latin American Episcopal Council (1999 – 2003)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria della Pace (2001.02.21 [2001.10.15] – ...)

President of Latin American Episcopal Council (2003 – 2007.07.12)

Member of Council of Cardinals to assist in the governance of the Universal Church and to reform the Roman Curia (2013.04.13 – 2018.10)

Bishop Jorge Arturo Medina Estévez (later Cardinal)
(1993.04.16 – 1996.06.21)

Oportet illum crescere

Born:	1926.12.23 (Santiago, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1954.06.12
Consecrated Bishop:	1985.01.06
Created Cardinal:	1998.02.21
Died:	2021.10.03 (Santiago, Chile † 94)

Titular Bishop of Thibilis (1984.12.18 – 1987.11.25)

Bishop of Rancagua (Chile) (1987.11.25 – 1993.04.16)

Bishop of Valparaíso (Chile) (1993.04.16 – 1996.06.21)

Pro-Prefect of Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (1996.06.21 – 1998.02.23)

Archbishop ad personam (1996.09.19 – 1998.02.21)

Cardinal-Deacon of S. Saba (1998.02.21 [1998.05.24] – 2008.03.01)

Prefect of Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (1998.02.23 – 2002.10.01)

Protodeacon of College of Cardinals (2005.02.24 – 2007.02.23)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Saba pro hac vice Title (2008.03.01 – 2021.10.03)

Archbishop Francisco de Borja Valenzuela Ríos
(1983.05.03 – 1993.04.16)

Scio cui credidi

Born:	1917.10.10 (Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1943.09.18
Consecrated Bishop:	1956.07.15
Died:	1998.02.20 († 80)

Bishop-Prelate of Copiapó (Chile) (1955.06.27 – 1956.05.24)

Titular Bishop of Ægeæ (1956.05.24 – 1957.08.20)

Bishop-Prelate of Copiapó (Chile) (1956.05.24 – 1957.08.20)

Bishop of Antofagasta (Chile) (1957.08.20 – 1967.06.28)

Apostolic Administrator of Calama (Chile) (1965.07.21 – 1968.05.19)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Antofagasta (Chile) (1967.06.28 – 1974.03.25)

Apostolic Administrator of Calama (Chile) (1970.04 – 1970.06.02)

Archbishop-Bishop of San Felipe (Chile) (1974.03.25 – 1983.05.03)

President of Episcopal Conference of Chile (1977 – 1980)

Archbishop-Bishop of Valparaíso (Chile) (1983.05.03 – 1993.04.16)

Archbishop Emilio Tagle Covarrubias
(1961.05.22 – 1983.05.03)

Born:	1907.08.19 (Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1930.12.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1958.03.16
Died:	1991.09.05 († 84)

Titular Bishop of Arethusa (1958.01.10 – 1959.03.12)

Auxiliary Bishop of Santiago (Chile) (1958.01.10 – 1961.05.22)

Apostolic Administrator of Santiago (Chile) (1959 – 1961.05.14)

Titular Archbishop of Nicopolis ad Nestum (1959.03.12 – 1961.05.22)

Archbishop-Bishop of Valparaíso (Chile) (1961.05.22 – 1983.05.03)

Bishop Raúl Silva Henríquez, S.D.B. (later Cardinal)
(1959.10.24 – 1961.05.14)

Caritas Christi urget nos

Born:	1907.09.27 (Talca, Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1938.07.03
Consecrated Bishop:	1959.11.29
Created Cardinal:	1962.03.19
Died:	1999.04.09 (Santiago, Chile † 91)

Bishop of Valparaíso (Chile) (1959.10.24 – 1961.05.14)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Santiago (Chile) (1961.05.14 – 1983.05.03)

President of Caritas Internationalis (1962 – 1965)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Bernardo alle Terme (1962.03.22 – 1999.04.09)

President of Episcopal Conference of Chile (1963 – 1968)

President of Episcopal Conference of Chile (1972 – 1976)

Bishop Rafael Lira Infante
(1938.03.18 – 1958.10.26)

Born:	1879.05.15 (Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1912.12.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1926.01.03
Died:	1958.10.26 († 79)

Bishop of Rancagua (Chile) (1925.12.14 – 1938.03.18)

Bishop of Valparaíso (Chile) (1938.03.18 – 1958.10.26)

Bishop Eduardo Gimpert Paut
(1925.12.14 – 1937.08.29)

Born:	1867.03.20 (Chile)
Ordained Priest:	1889.06.24
Consecrated Bishop:	1916.10.28
Died:	1937.08.29 († 70)

Apostolic Administrator of Valparaíso (Chile) (1906.03.10 – 1925.12.14)

Titular Bishop of Echinus (1916.04.27 – 1925.12.14)

Bishop of Valparaíso (Chile) (1925.12.14 – 1937.08.29)

Bishop Eduardo Gimpert Paut
(Apostolic Administrator 1906.03.10 – 1925.12.14)

Fr. Ramón Angel Jara Ruz (later Bishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 1894.03.13 – 1898.04.28)

Former Prelates

Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Santiago Jaime Silva Retamales (67) (2002.02.16 – 2015.07.07)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Juan de la Cruz Barros Madrid (66) (1995.04.12 – 2000.11.21)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Francisco Javier Prado Aránguiz, SS.CC. (1988.04.28 – 1993.04.16)

Tweets

Contact Info

Address: Carrera 430, Valparaíso, Chile

Phone: 32-255538

Websites:

Statistics

Area: 4,736 km²

Population: 1,052,270 Catholics (74.0% of 1,422,360 total) (2020)

Statistics: 69 parishes, 281 missions, 84 priests (60 diocesan, 24 religious), 84 deacons, 101 lay religious (45 brothers, 56 sisters), 7 seminarians (2020)

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Nuestra Señora del Carmen (July 16)

Cathedral Dedication Anniversary: January 5 (1951)

Liturgical Calendar 📅

History

1872.11.02: Established as Mission sui juris of Valparaíso / Vallis Paradisi (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santiago and became suffragan of Santiago)
1925.10.18: Promoted as Diocese of Valparaíso / Vallis Paradisi (Latin)
1981.10.28: Lost territory to Diocese of San Felipe
2002.01.05: Gained territory from Apostolic Vicariate of Araucanía