León (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]

Bishop(s)

Luis Ángel de las Heras Berzal, C.M.F., Bishop
Julián López Martín, Bishop Emeritus

General Information

Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese
Erected: 4th Century
Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Oviedo
Rite: Latin (or Roman)
Country: Spain
Square Kilometers: 9,620 (3,715 Square Miles)
Official Web Site: http://www.diocesisdeleon.org/
Mailing Address: Obispado, Apartado 7, 24080 Leon; Plaza de la Regla 7, 24003 Leon, Espana
Telephone: 987.21.96.84
Fax: 987.26.06.65

Past and Present Ordinaries

St. Alvito † (May 1057 Appointed - 5 Sep 1063 Died)
Arias Gundesíndiz † ( 1130 Appointed - 1135 Died)
Pedro Muñoz † (May 1205 Appointed - 1207 Appointed, Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela)
Rodrigo Álvarez † (Jul 1209 Appointed - 8 Mar 1232 Died)
Martín Alonso † (May 1232 Appointed - 1234 Died)
Arnaldo † (6 May 1234 Appointed - 1235 Resigned)
Juan Domínguez de Medina † (4 Dec 1237 Appointed - Did Not Take Effect)
Martín Arias † (21 Nov 1238 Appointed - 16 Jan 1242 Died)
Nuño Álvarez † ( 1242 Appointed - 17 Apr 1252 Died)
Martín Fernández † (6 Aug 1254 Appointed - 21 Mar 1289 Died)
Fernando † (22 Dec 1289 Appointed - 13 May 1301 Died)
Gonzalo Osorio Villalobos † (6 Nov 1301 Appointed - 12 Jul 1313 Appointed, Bishop of Burgos)
Juan Soares † (12 Jul 1313 Appointed - )
Juan Fernández † ( 1315 Appointed - Dec 1316 Died)
Pilfort de Rabastens, O.S.B. † (16 Mar 1317 Appointed - 19 Oct 1317 Appointed, Bishop of Rieux)
García de Ayerve † (6 Nov 1317 Appointed - 2 Sep 1332 Died)
Juan del Campo † (2 Dec 1332 Appointed - 24 May 1344 Died)
Diego Ramírez de Guzmán † (14 Jun 1344 Appointed - 1351 Died)
Pedro Raimundo de Barrière, C.R.S.A. † (31 Aug 1360 Appointed - 19 Nov 1361 Appointed, Bishop of Toul)
Pedro de Uxua, O.F.M. † (19 Nov 1361 Appointed - 1371 Died)
Alfonso Barrasa † (5 Mar 1375 Appointed - )
Aleramo † (9 Jun 1382 Appointed - 1401 Died)
Alfonso de Argüello, O.P. † (7 Aug 1403 Appointed - 19 Aug 1415 Appointed, Bishop of Palencia)
Álvaro Núñez de Isorna † (19 Aug 1415 Appointed - 16 Mar 1418 Appointed, Bishop of Cuenca)
Juan Rodríguez Villalón † (16 Mar 1418 Appointed - 28 May 1424 Died)
Alfonso de Cusanca, O.P. † (28 Jul 1424 Appointed - 1435 Died)
Juan de Mella † (12 Apr 1434 Appointed - Did Not Take Effect)
Juan de Mella † (26 Aug 1437 Appointed - 6 Apr 1440 Appointed, Bishop of Zamora)
Pedro Cabeza de Vaca † (6 Apr 1440 Appointed - 2 Nov 1459 Died)
Fortunato Velasquez de Cuellar † (2 Jan 1460 Appointed - 17 Jun 1460 Died)
Juan de Torquemada, O.P. † (31 Jul 1460 Appointed - 26 Jan 1463 Appointed, Bishop of Orense)
Giacopo Antonio Venier † (16 Sep 1464 Appointed - 6 Oct 1469 Appointed, Bishop of Cuenca)
Rodrigo de Vergara † (6 Oct 1469 Appointed - 18 Jun 1478 Died)
Luis Velasco † (9 Oct 1478 Appointed - 20 Feb 1484 Appointed, Bishop of Córdoba)
Iñigo Manrique de Lara † (20 Feb 1484 Appointed - 26 Aug 1485 Appointed, Bishop of Córdoba)
Alonso de Valdivieso † (26 Aug 1485 Appointed - 21 May 1500 Died)
Francisco Desprats † (4 Dec 1500 Appointed - 10 Sep 1504 Died)
Juan de Vera † (14 May 1505 Appointed - 4 May 1507 Died)
Francesco Alidosi † ( 1507 Appointed - 24 May 1511 Died)
Luigi d’Aragona † (6 Jun 1511 Appointed - 17 Dec 1516 Resigned)
Esteban Gabriel Merino † (17 Dec 1516 Appointed - 12 Jun 1523 Appointed, Bishop of Jaén)
Pedro Manuel † (12 Jun 1523 Appointed - 17 Jun 1534 Appointed, Bishop of Zamora)
Pedro Alvarez de Acosta † (8 Jan 1535 Appointed - 21 May 1539 Appointed, Bishop of Osma)
Fernando Valdés † (30 May 1539 Appointed - 29 Oct 1539 Appointed, Bishop of Sigüenza)
Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal (Arellano) † (29 Oct 1539 Appointed - 2 Jun 1542 Appointed, Bishop of Cuenca)
Esteban Almeida † (2 Jun 1542 Appointed - 16 Apr 1546 Appointed, Bishop of Cartagena (en España))
Juan Fernández Temiño † (19 Jul 1546 Appointed - 9 Nov 1556 Died)
Andrés de la Cuesta † (10 Dec 1557 Appointed - 1564 Died)
Juan de San Millán † (28 Jul 1564 Appointed - 11 Apr 1578 Died)
Francisco Trujillo García † (5 Sep 1578 Appointed - 14 Nov 1592 Died)
Juan Alonso Moscoso † (30 Aug 1593 Appointed - 9 May 1603 Appointed, Bishop of Málaga)
Andrés de Casso, O.P. † (12 Jun 1603 Appointed - 13 May 1607 Died)
Francisco Terrones del Caño † (3 Mar 1608 Appointed - 13 Mar 1613 Died)
Alonso González Aguilar † (23 Sep 1613 Appointed - 2 Dec 1615 Died)
Juan Llano Valdés † (5 Sep 1616 Appointed - 9 Aug 1622 Died)
Juan Molina Alvarez † (20 Mar 1623 Appointed - Nov 1623 Died)
Gregorio Pedrosa Cásares, O.S.H. † (16 Sep 1624 Confirmed - 31 Jan 1633 Appointed, Bishop of Valladolid)
Bartolomé Santos de Risoba † (26 Sep 1633 Appointed - 9 Dec 1649 Confirmed, Bishop of Sigüenza)
Juan del Pozo Horta, O.P. † (10 Jan 1650 Appointed - 28 Aug 1656 Confirmed, Bishop of Segovia)
Juan Pérez de Vega (López de Vega) † (18 Sep 1656 Appointed - 14 Sep 1659 Died)
Juan Bravo Lasprilla † (7 Jun 1660 Appointed - 31 Jul 1662 Appointed, Bishop of Cartagena (en España))
Juan Vande-Escarth y Briceño, O.S.H. † (12 Jan 1665 Appointed - 6 Apr 1672 Died)
Juan Álvarez Osorio † (12 Dec 1672 Appointed - 22 Jan 1680 Appointed, Bishop of Plasencia)
Juan Aparicio Navarro † (7 Oct 1680 Appointed - 6 Nov 1696 Died)
José Gregorio de Rojas y Velázquez † (3 Jun 1697 Appointed - 7 Apr 1704 Appointed, Bishop of Plasencia)
Manuel Pérez Araciel y Rada † (28 Apr 1704 Appointed - 13 Jun 1714 Confirmed, Archbishop of Zaragoza)
José Ulzurrun de Asanza y Civera † (17 Sep 1714 Confirmed - 17 Apr 1718 Died)
Martín Zalayeta Lizarza † (27 May 1720 Appointed - 11 Sep 1728 Died)
Juan Fernández Zapata † (3 Aug 1729 Confirmed - 12 Oct 1729 Died)
Francisco de la Torre Herrera † (24 Jul 1730 Appointed - 1 Feb 1735 Died)
José de Llupiá y Roger, O.S.B. † (19 Dec 1735 Confirmed - 21 Nov 1752 Died)
Alfonso Fernández Pantoja † (9 Apr 1753 Appointed - 6 Nov 1761 Died)
Pascual de los Herreros † (23 Aug 1762 Appointed - 3 Mar 1770 Died)
Baltasar Yusta y Navarro † (10 Sep 1770 Appointed - 17 Feb 1777 Appointed, Bishop of Córdoba)
Cayetano Antonio Cuadrillero Mota † (15 Dec 1777 Appointed - 3 Apr 1800 Died)
Pedro Luis Blanco † (11 Aug 1800 Appointed - 22 Nov 1811 Died)
Ignacio Ramón Roda † (19 Dec 1814 Confirmed - 4 Jan 1823 Died)
Joaquín Abarca Blaque † (27 Sep 1824 Confirmed - 21 Jun 1844 Died)
Joaquín Barbajero y Villar † (17 Jan 1848 Confirmed - 26 Feb 1863 Died)
Calixto Castrillo y Ornedo † (1 Oct 1863 Confirmed - 19 Sep 1869 Died)
Saturnino Fernandez de Castro y de la Cotera † (5 Jul 1875 Confirmed - 15 Mar 1883 Appointed, Archbishop of Burgos)
Francisco Xavier Caminero y Muñoz † (27 Mar 1885 Appointed - 13 Apr 1885 Died)
Francisco Gómez-Salazar y Lucio-Villegas † (10 Jun 1886 Appointed - 1 Oct 1904 Retired)
Juan Manuel Sanz y Saravia † (27 Mar 1905 Appointed - 29 Apr 1909 Appointed, Bishop of Jaén)
Ramón Guillamet y Coma † (29 Apr 1909 Appointed - 18 Jul 1913 Appointed, Bishop of Córdoba)
José Álvarez y Miranda † (18 Jul 1913 Appointed - 4 Mar 1937 Died)
Carmelo Ballester y Nieto, C.M. † (12 Feb 1938 Appointed - 10 Jun 1943 Appointed, Bishop of Vitoria)
Luis Almarcha Hernández † (10 Jul 1944 Appointed - 4 Apr 1970 Retired)
Luis María de Larrea y Legarreta † (9 Jul 1971 Appointed - 16 Feb 1979 Appointed, Bishop of Bilbao)
Fernando Sebastián Aguilar, C.M.F. † (22 Aug 1979 Appointed - 28 Jul 1983 Resigned)
Juan Angel Belda Dardiñá † (28 Jul 1983 Appointed - 9 Feb 1987 Resigned)
Antonio Vilaplana Molina † (9 Feb 1987 Appointed - 19 Mar 2002 Retired)
Julián López Martín (19 Mar 2002 Appointed - 21 Oct 2020 Retired)
Luis Ángel de las Heras Berzal, C.M.F. (21 Oct 2020 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
4th Century	Erected		Diocese of León (erected)
17 October 1954	Territory Added	Diocese of Palencia (Liebaña in Santander)	Diocese of León
17 October 1954	Territory Lost	Diocese of León (45 parishes in Valladolid)	Archdiocese of Valladolid
17 October 1954	Territory Lost	Diocese of León (18 parishes in Zamora)	Diocese of Zamora
17 October 1954	Territory Lost	Diocese of León (157 parishes in Palencia)	Diocese of Palencia
17 October 1954	Territory Added	Diocese of Lugo (Territory in León)	Diocese of León
17 October 1954	Territory Added	Diocese of Oviedo (Valencia de don Juan with 6 parishes, 160 parishes, Armellada with 4 parishes (in León))	Diocese of León
27 October 1954	Metropolitan Changed		Diocese of León (from Burgos)
22 November 1955	Territory Lost	Diocese of León (parts of Santander)	Diocese of Santander
19 September 1956	Territory Added	Diocese of Astorga (Fasgar, Vegapujín, Posada de Omaña, Torrecillo, Barrio de la Puente, Villar de Omaña, Marzán, Cirujales y Villaverde, Omañuela, Rosales, Folloso, Campo y Santibéñez de la Lomba, Valdesamario y la Carandilla, Utrera, Andarraso, Castro de la Lomba, ...)	Diocese of León

Year Catholics Total Population Percent Catholic Diocesan Priests Religious Priests Total Priests Catholics Per Priest Permanent Deacons Male Religious Female Religious Parishes Source

1950 270,987 270,987 100.0% 630 59 689 393 210 619 816 ap1951

1970 320,708 320,708 100.0% 539 205 744 431 402 1,113 764 ap1971

1980 323,500 325,000 99.5% 466 192 658 491 322 1,068 755 ap1981

1990 295,792 316,242 93.5% 415 155 570 518 291 844 755 ap1991

1999 319,382 321,882 99.2% 352 118 470 679 2 239 796 756 ap2000

2000 318,042 320,542 99.2% 347 129 476 668 1 261 796 756 ap2001

2001 316,504 319,104 99.2% 346 121 467 677 2 240 778 756 ap2002

2002 316,654 317,854 99.6% 336 116 452 700 2 233 726 756 ap2003

2003 315,552 316,832 99.6% 326 117 443 712 1 230 736 756 ap2004

2004 314,172 315,452 99.6% 323 115 438 717 1 222 744 756 ap2005

2013 309,690 315,868 98.0% 285 100 385 804 1 171 516 757 ap2014

2016 305,860 312,196 98.0% 261 95 356 859 3 165 501 757 ap2017

2019 301,692 308,071 97.9% 233 106 339 889 4 158 692 757 ap2020

2021 298,480 305,030 97.9% 197 76 273 1,093 5 155 488 757 ap2022

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
1950	270,987	270,987	100.0%	630	59	689	393		210	619	816	ap1951
1970	320,708	320,708	100.0%	539	205	744	431		402	1,113	764	ap1971
1980	323,500	325,000	99.5%	466	192	658	491		322	1,068	755	ap1981
1990	295,792	316,242	93.5%	415	155	570	518		291	844	755	ap1991
1999	319,382	321,882	99.2%	352	118	470	679	2	239	796	756	ap2000
2000	318,042	320,542	99.2%	347	129	476	668	1	261	796	756	ap2001
2001	316,504	319,104	99.2%	346	121	467	677	2	240	778	756	ap2002
2002	316,654	317,854	99.6%	336	116	452	700	2	233	726	756	ap2003
2003	315,552	316,832	99.6%	326	117	443	712	1	230	736	756	ap2004
2004	314,172	315,452	99.6%	323	115	438	717	1	222	744	756	ap2005
2013	309,690	315,868	98.0%	285	100	385	804	1	171	516	757	ap2014
2016	305,860	312,196	98.0%	261	95	356	859	3	165	501	757	ap2017
2019	301,692	308,071	97.9%	233	106	339	889	4	158	692	757	ap2020
2021	298,480	305,030	97.9%	197	76	273	1,093	5	155	488	757	ap2022