Apostolic Vicariate of San Miguel de Sucumbíos

Apostolic Vicariate of San Miguel de Sucumbíos Apostolicus Vicariatus Sancti Michaëlis de Sucumbios
Location
Country	Ecuador
Statistics
Area	13,287 km^2 (5,130 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2010) 139,000 111,000 (79.9%)
Parishes	41
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	16 April 1924 (100 years ago)
Cathedral	Catedral Nuestra Señora del Cisne
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Vicar Apostolic	Celmo Lazzari, C.S.I.
Map

The Apostolic Vicariate (or Vicariate Apostolic) of San Miguel de Sucumbíos (Latin: Apostolicus Vicariatus Sancti Michaëlis de Sucumbios) is a missionary entity of the Roman Catholic Church. Its cathedral see, the Catedral Nuestra Señora del Cisne, is located in the city of Nueva Loja, Sucumbíos Province in Ecuador.

History

On 16 April 1924 Pope Pius XI established the Prefecture Apostolic of San Miguel de Sucumbíos from the Apostolic Vicariate of Napo.

Pope John Paul II elevated it to an Apostolic Vicariate on 2 July 1984.^[1][2] It remains exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See, not part of an ecclesiastical province.

Nomination conflict with the Ecuadorian state

In October 2010, after López Marañon of the Discalced Carmelites retired at the mandatory age of 75, the Holy See appointed Rafael Ibarguren, of the Heralds of the Gospel as Apostolic Administrator (ad interim for the Ordinary) of the Vicariate Apostolic. Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa objected to the nomination as he considered Ibarguren 'ultraconservative and fundamentalist', he also feared that Ibarguren would destroy all the social work his predecessor had achieved.^[3] Correa asserted that he could veto the nomination of Ibarguren on the basis of a Modus vivendi agreement between Ecuador and the Holy See. The Episcopal Conference of Ecuador asserted otherwise. Relations between the two entities were strained and believers within Sucumbíos were divided in those supporting the Heralds of the Gospel and those who did not.^[3]

On 5 December 2011, Pope Benedict XVI named Paolo Mietto Apolostic Administrator.^[4] This member of the missionary Congregation of Saint Joseph was succeeded by a fellow Josephite Celmo Lazzari, the former Apostolic Vicar of neighbouring 'mother vicariate' Napo, as Apostolic vicar.

Incumbent Ordinaries

Apostolic prefects (all OCD

• Pacifico del Carmine, OCD † (21 May 1937 – 1954)
• Manuel Gomez Frande, OCD † (18 November 1955 – 1968)
• Gonzalo López Marañon, OCD † (26 June 1970 – see below)

Apostolic vicars

• Gonzalo López Marañon, OCD † (see above – 30 October 2010)
• Apostolic Administrator Rafael Ibarguren Schindler (30 October 2010 – 10 February 2012)
• Apostolic Administrator Paolo Mietto, CSI (10 February 2012 – 21 November 2013)
• Celmo Lazzari, CSI (21 November 2013 – incumbent)

See also

• Roman Catholicism in Ecuador

Sources and References

1. "Vicariate Apostolic of San Miguel de Sucumbíos". Catholic Hierarchy. Retrieved 2013-04-17.
2. "Apostolic Vicariate of San Miguel de Sucumbíos". Giga Catholic. Retrieved 2013-04-17.
3. Paúl Mena Erazo (20 March 2011). "Ecuador: Correa enfrenta a Iglesia Católica por nombramiento de vicario". BBC Mundo. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
4. "Nombrado Administrator Apostólico del Vicariato de Sucumbios" (in Spanish). Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference. 10 February 2012. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2013.