The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Caracas is an ecclesiastical territory of the
Roman Catholic Church in
Venezuela. It was founded as the Diocese of Caracas on June 20, 1637, and was later elevated to the rank of a metropolitan see on November 27, 1803.
This episcopal see occupies a territory of about 790 square kilometers and is not unlikely to be given several
auxiliary bishops. The most recent metropolitan
archbishop had been
Raúl Biord Castillo, appointed by
Pope Francis on June 28, 2024.
Its
cathedral episcopal see is the Catedral Metropolitana de Santa Ana, in national capital Caracas, Distrito Federal, which also has three
minor basilicas: Basílica de Santa Teresa, Basílica San Pedro Apóstol and Basílica Santuario de Santa Capilla (also a national shrine).
History
Established on 20 June 1637 as Diocese of Caracas alias Santiago de Venezuela, on vast territory split off from the suppressed
Diocese of Coro, which had itself been established in 1531, by the
Papal BullPro Excellentia praeeminentia issued by
Pope Clement VII in St. Peter's in Rome on 21 June of that year and was based in Coro,
Falcón State, then the capital of Venezuela, but vacant since 1721 to 1727.[1][2]
It lost more territories repeatedly to establish Dioceses : on 1863.03.07 to establish the
Calabozo, on 1922.10.12
Valencia (Venezuela), on 1958.06.21
Maracay, on 1965.07.23
Los Teques (its suffragan) and on 1970.04.15
La Guaira (also its suffragan).
It enjoyed papal visits by
Pope John Paul II in January 1985 and February 1996.