Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna Dioecesis Sancti Christophori de Laguna or Dioecesis Nivariensis Diócesis de San Cristóbal de La Laguna or Diócesis de Tenerife | |
|---|---|
 Logotype | |
| Location | |
| Country | Spain |
| Ecclesiastical province | Seville |
| Metropolitan | Seville |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 3,381 km2 (1,305 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2010) 1,020,490 884,000 (86.6%) |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 1 February 1819 |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of San Cristóbal de La Laguna |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Eloy Alberto Santiago |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | José Ángel Saiz Meneses |
| Bishops emeritus | Bernardo Álvarez Afonso |
| Map | |
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| Website | |
| Website of the Diocese | |
TheDiocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Latin:Sancti Christophori de Laguna), also calledDiocese of Tenerife orDiocese Nivariense, is adiocese located in the city ofSan Cristóbal de La Laguna in theCanary Islands and asuffragan in theecclesiastical province of theArchdiocese of Sevilla inSpain. The diocese includes the islands ofTenerife,La Palma,La Gomera andEl Hierro, in theprovince of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The arrival ofChristianity to the western islands of the Canaries took place (as in the eastern islands) before the complete conquest of the archipelago and its incorporation into theCrown of Castile held in 1496 with the conquest of the island ofTenerife. Christianization was motivated basically as preparation for the subsequent conquest.[1]
In this work theNormans missionary friars and thenCatalan andMajorcan (especiallyFranciscans andDominicans) who settled first in the eastern islands where even founded bishoprics and from where they began to evangelize the Westerners occupied.[1] These, (as will happen later inAmerica) accompanied the conquistadores in their mission to convert and catechize theaboriginals guanches, which like other ancient peoples had their own religion. Perhaps in this respect, the Christianization undertaken by the friar and missionaryAlfonso de Bolaños, dubbed the"Apostle of Tenerife", stands out among the guanches, about 30 years before the conquest of it.
After the conquest these cults or syncretic be eradicated and replaced by theCatholic religion. The presence of Christian elements in the western islands of the Canaries in the period before the conquest is a palpable fact, example of this is the presence in two of these islands marianas images that reach great notoriety throughout the entire archipelago: TheVirgin of Candelaria in Tenerife (Patron Saint of the Canary Islands) and theVirgen de las Nieves (Patron Saint of La Palma).[1] It is believed that these images have been brought to these islands by missionaries Catalan or Majorcan a century before being revered by Aborigines since.
Recently in Tenerife aChristian cross was found engraved in the rock and oriented to the sun, in a Guanche site in the municipality ofBuenavista del Norte. This symbol was found in a megalith used for fecundity rituals and as a solar calendar. This finding highlights the supposed knowledge that the aborigines had of Christianity.[2]
The origins of creating a diocese based in Tenerife has its home since shortly after the conquest of the Canaries, it was the sameAlonso Fernández de Lugo (conqueror of Tenerife) who in 1513 asked the Court to the island of Tenerife had anEpiscopal see, calling for it to move the diocesan headquarters Canary Islands ofLas Palmas de Gran Canaria toSan Cristóbal de La Laguna.[3]
A short time later after the conquest of the Canary Islands, Tenerife quickly became the most populated island of the archipelago and San Cristóbal de La Laguna in the most important town in the Canary Islands.[3] Fernández de Lugo, who had received the title of «Primer Adelantado de las Islas Canarias» by theKings of Spain wished therefore raise the ecclesiastical rank of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, a city he founded and where his residence was located.[4]
At that time, was still fresh the transfer of the Episcopal see of the Canary Islands to the city of Las Palmas on the island ofGran Canaria, home initially was inSan Marcial del Rubicón in the south of the island ofLanzarote (by being this first conquered the island). However the idea of moving the bishopric to the city of La Laguna was not prospered.[5] The reasons for the refusal were based primarily on the fact that it had already begun to build and expand the newCathedral of Santa Ana in Las Palmas, the oligarchy ofGran Canaria wanted to have some stability and independence of the governing authorities of the Canary Islands that were based in the La Laguna.[4]
Soon after, he attempted to share the diocesan headquarters between Las Palmas and La Laguna but that idea did not prosper. In 1515 the then only municipality of Tenerife (with Fernández de Lugo in the lead) took the founding act of the Church of Our Lady of Remedies (nowLa Laguna Cathedral) to convey to the court the need for residence in Tenerife from members of theCathedral chapter of Canaries, which had it based inLas Palmas de Gran Canaria.[5] On 19 November 1517 the council again sent to the Court a letter in similar terms which were ratified in the earlier decision, which did not reach any positive response.[5] Subsequently, requests for creation of a diocese stated that its jurisdiction should cover the western islands of the Canaries.
In the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries there will be a boom of contemplative and religious life. At this time born in Tenerife:Peter of Saint Joseph Betancur andJosé de Anchieta, the two native saints of the Canary Islands. Both were two of the greatest missionaries inLatin America. Another important religious figure born at the time was theServant of GodMary of Jesus de León y Delgado, whose body remains uncorrupted.
In 1783 he again requested the erection of a diocese inSan Cristóbal de La Laguna (so that it encompasses the western islands of the Canary Islands), which was taken with great suspicion by members of the Cathedral Chapter and Bishop, preventing him ecclesiastical institutions based inGran Canaria.[5]
In 1818, the clergy and the authorities of Tenerife requested again the creation of the Diocese to theHoly See (this time with the support of KingFerdinand VII of Spain) in a document calledInstruction of the Chamber of Castile, having a favorable response ofPope.[6] In this role it played an important role the priestCristóbal Bencomo y Rodríguez, confessor of King Ferdinand VII andTitular Archbishop ofHeraclea.[7]
On February 1, 1819 a papal bull ofPope Pius VII approved the division of the bishopric of the Canary Islands in two dioceses. Finally, between February and December 1819 this diocese is created, since previously theRoman Catholic Diocese of Canarias was administering the entire archipelago.[5]
The Pope Pius VII in establishing the diocese determines that Bula fundamental aspects of the organization of the same;[8] the cathedral headquarters is theParish of Our Lady of Remedies of San Cristóbal de La Laguna,[8] that the diocese is formed by the four western islands of the Canary Islands (El Hierro,La Palma,La Gomera andTenerife),[8] the official name the diocese is the same as the city where it is based,[8] that the documents concerning the diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna deposited with the secretary of the curia of Las Palmas should be transferred to the new diocese,[8] the diocese and its cathedral are suffragan of theArchdiocese of Seville,[8] and the patronage of the new diocese is established as follows: TheOur Lady of Remedies main patron of the cathedral and the diocese, and St.Ferdinand III of Castile and St.Elizabeth of Aragon like the saints small employers the same.[8]
As a result of theConcordat of 1851, the suppression of several Spanish dioceses that had been recently created, including the Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna which should be annexed to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Canarias is established. The Cathedral Chapter of Canaries yet positioned against such a measure defending the independence of the Diocese of Tenerife. Subsequently, theVatican requires that one of the diocese condemned to disappear remains.[3] For this reason it establishes the conservation and restoration of the diocese of Tenerife. After several failed attempts to appoint a bishop, Mr.Ildefonso Joaquín Infante y Macías was appointed in 1877.
The current bishop, 13th of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna is MonsignorEloy Alberto Santiago. The diocese has about 892,000 baptized in 2014. It is also the Canarian diocese has both more priests (255), as permanent deacons (6) and parishes (312).[9]
Chronology since the creation of the Diocese until today:
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The principal patron saint of the diocese is theVirgin of Los Remedios.[8] Smaller patron saints areSt. Ferdinand III of Castile andSt. Elizabeth of Portugal.[8] The patron saint of the Canary Islands is theVirgin of Candelaria,[11] whose shrine belongs to this diocese.St. Saint Christopher is the titular saint (non-patron saint) of the Diocese because it bears the name of the city, and therefore includes the name of this saint.
The patronage of the islands of this Diocese is as follows:
Saint patron saint of the islands:
The own and official Liturgical Calendar of the diocese, approved by theApostolic See includes the following festivities:[12]
In its internal organization the diocese is divided into 17arciprestazgos (deaneries), to the front of which is anarchpriest who is in charge of administering it, attending to the requests of the clergy and watching over the care of the cult. Thearciprestazgos are distributed between the different islands:
InTenerife:
InLa Palma:
The islands ofLa Gomera andEl Hierro have one archpriest each for the entire island territory:
| Iglesia Nivariense | |
| Magazine | Iglesia Nivariense |
| Country | Spain |
| City where it is edited | San Cristóbal de La Laguna |
| Distribution area | Santa Cruz de Tenerife (province) |
| Language | Spanish |
| Periodicity | Monthly |
| Web site | Diócesis de Tenerife |
Iglesia Nivariense (Church Nivariense) is a religious magazine published by the Diocese ofTenerife. The publication deals with the religious celebrations of the diocese and related religious topics.
Also it publishes for other islands that shape the diocese:La Palma,La Gomera andEl Hierro.In the magazine there do not appear sections of politics, economy or sports. It is published especially to distribute it in the parishes and churches of the Diocese of Tenerife.
The slogan of this magazine is a "Publication of the Diocese of Tenerife".
The Diocese of Tenerife hassaints,blesseds,venerables andservants of God of popular devotion, among them:
| Province of Barcelona |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Province of Burgos | ||
| Province of Granada | ||
| Province of Madrid | ||
| Province of Mérida-Badajoz | ||
| Province of Oviedo | ||
| Province of Pamplona | ||
| Province of Santiago de Compostela | ||
| Province of Seville | ||
| Province of Tarragona | ||
| Province of Toledo | ||
| Province of Valencia | ||
| Province of Valladolid | ||
| Province of Zaragoza | ||
| Military Ordinariate | ||
| Eastern Rite Ordinariate | ||
