Panamá (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]

Bishop(s)

José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta, O.S.A., Archbishop
José Dimas Cedeño Delgado, Archbishop Emeritus

General Information

Type of Jurisdiction: Archdiocese
Elevated: 29 November 1925
Metropolitan See
Rite: Latin (or Roman)
Country: Panama
Square Kilometers: 11,957 (4,618 Square Miles)
Official Web Site: https://arquidiocesisdepanama.org
Mailing Address: Arzobispado, Calle 1a sur, Carrasquilla, Apartado 6386, Panamá 5, Panamá
Telephone: 261-0002
Fax: 261-0820

Historical Details

Diocese of Santa María de La Antigua del Darién
- Erected: 28 August 1513
- Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Foreign Archdiocese
- Country: Panama
Diocese of Panamá
- Latin Name: Panamensis
- Name Changed: 7 December 1520
- Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Lima
- Country: Panama

Past and Present Ordinaries

Juan de Quevedo Villegas, O.F.M. Obs. † (9 Sep 1513 Appointed - 24 Dec 1519 Died)
Vicente de Peraza (Pirez), O.P. † (5 Dec 1520 Appointed - 1526 Resigned)
Martin de Bejar, O.F.M. † ( 1527 Appointed - 1530 Died)
Vicente de Valverde, O.P. † ( 1533 Appointed - )
Tomás de Berlanga, O.P. † (11 Feb 1534 Appointed - 1537 Resigned)
Pablo de Torres, O.P. † (27 Jan 1546 Appointed - 1560 Died)
Juan de Vaca (Baca), O.S.B. † (27 Jun 1561 Appointed - 1565 Died)
Francisco de Abrego, O.S. † (15 Feb 1566 Appointed - 26 Jul 1574 Died)
Manuel de Mercado Aldrete, O.S.H. † (28 Mar 1576 Appointed - 4 Apr 1580 Died)
Bartolomé de Ledesma, O.P. † (20 Oct 1580 Appointed - 3 Jun 1583 Appointed, Bishop of Antequera, Oaxaca)
Bartolomé Martinez Menacho y Mesa (Mechado) † (27 Apr 1587 Appointed - 30 Apr 1593 Appointed, Archbishop of Santafé en Nueva Granada)
Pedro Duque de Rivera, S.J. † (27 Jul 1594 Appointed - Dec 1594 Died)
Antonio Calderón de León † (23 May 1598 Appointed - 4 Jul 1605 Appointed, Bishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra)
Agustín de Carvajal, O.S.A. † (18 Jul 1605 Appointed - 7 May 1612 Appointed, Bishop of Ayacucho o Huamanga (Guamanga))
Francisco de la Cámara y Raya, O.P. † (15 Apr 1613 Confirmed - 18 Aug 1624 Died)
Cristóbal Martínez de Salas, O. Praem. † (27 Oct 1625 Confirmed - 22 Oct 1640 Died)
Hernando de Ramírez y Sánchez, O.SS.T. † (16 Sep 1641 Confirmed - 11 Apr 1652 Died)
Bernardo de Izaguirre de los Reyes † (21 Apr 1655 Confirmed - 31 Jul 1662 Appointed, Bishop of Cuzco)
Diego López de Vergara y Aguilar † (8 Aug 1662 Appointed - )
Sancho Pardo Cárdenas y Figueroa † (24 Mar 1664 Appointed - Jan 1671 Died)
Antonio de León y Becerra † (21 Mar 1672 Appointed - 19 Oct 1676 Confirmed, Bishop of Trujillo)
Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita † (16 Nov 1676 Appointed - 29 Mar 1688 Died)
Diego Ladrón de Guevara † (6 Jun 1689 Appointed - 11 Apr 1699 Appointed, Bishop of Ayacucho o Huamanga (Guamanga))
Juan de Argüelles, O.S.A. † (18 May 1699 Appointed - 21 Mar 1711 Appointed, Bishop of Arequipa)
Juan José Llamas Rivas, O. Carm. † (13 Jun 1714 Appointed - 1 Apr 1719 Died)
Bernardo de Serreda y Villate, O. Carm. † (3 Mar 1721 Appointed - 19 Dec 1725 Appointed, Bishop of Cuzco)
Agustín Rodríguez Delgado † (19 Dec 1725 Appointed - 17 Dec 1731 Appointed, Bishop of La Paz)
Pedro Morcillo Rubio de Auñón † (17 Sep 1731 Appointed - 18 Apr 1742 Confirmed, Bishop of Cuzco)
Diego de Salinas y Cabrera, O.S.A. † ( 1741 Appointed - 1741 Resigned)
Juan de Castañeda Velásquez y Salazar † (9 Jul 1742 Confirmed - 20 Jan 1749 Confirmed, Bishop of Cuzco)
Felipe Manrique de Lara † (21 Jul 1749 Appointed - 23 Feb 1750 Confirmed, Bishop of Ayacucho o Huamanga (Guamanga))
Juan B. Taborga y Durana (Tabarga) † (23 Feb 1750 Confirmed - Jul 1750 Died)
Valentín Moran Menéndez, O. de M. † (23 Sep 1750 Confirmed - 15 Mar 1751 Appointed, Bishop of Islas Canarias {Canary Islands})
Francisco Javier de Luna Victoria y Castro † (17 May 1751 Confirmed - 13 Mar 1758 Appointed, Bishop of Trujillo)
Juan Manuel Jerónimo de Romaní y Carrillo † (13 Mar 1758 Appointed - 26 Sep 1763 Appointed, Bishop of Cuzco)
Miguel Moreno y Ollo † (19 Dec 1763 Appointed - 12 Mar 1770 Appointed, Bishop of Ayacucho o Huamanga (Guamanga))
Francisco de los Ríos y Armengol, O.P. † (28 May 1770 Appointed - 17 Nov 1776 Died)
José Antonio Humeres y Miranda † (15 Dec 1777 Appointed - 11 Sep 1791 Died)
Remigio de La Santa y Ortega † (18 Jun 1792 Appointed - 24 Jul 1797 Appointed, Bishop of La Paz)
Manuel Joaquín González de Acuña y Saenz † (24 Jul 1797 Appointed - 20 Jul 1813 Died)
Simón López García, C.O. † ( 1814 Appointed - 18 Dec 1815 Appointed, Bishop of Orihuela)
José Higinio Durán y Martel, O. de M. † (18 Dec 1815 Appointed - 22 Oct 1823 Died)
Juan José Cabarcas González y Argüello † (24 Jul 1835 Appointed - 15 Apr 1847 Died)
Juan Francisco del Rosario Manfredo y Ballestas † (16 Apr 1847 Succeeded - 21 Apr 1850 Died)
Eduardo Vásquez, O.P. † (20 Dec 1853 Appointed - 3 Jan 1870 Died)
Ignacio Antonio Parra † (21 Mar 1870 Appointed - 19 Aug 1875 Resigned)
José Telésphor Paúl y Vargas, S.J. † (17 Sep 1875 Appointed - 6 Aug 1884 Appointed, Archbishop of Santafé en Nueva Granada)
Jose Alejandro Peralta † (4 Jun 1886 Appointed - 8 Jul 1899 Died)
Francisco Javier Junguito, S.J. † (15 Apr 1901 Appointed - 21 Oct 1911 Died)
Guillermo Rojas y Arrieta, C.M. † (21 Mar 1912 Appointed - 4 Feb 1933 Died)
Juan José Maíztegui y Besoitaiturria, C.M.F. † (24 Feb 1933 Appointed - 28 Sep 1943 Died)
Francisco Beckmann, C.M. † (13 Jan 1945 Appointed - 30 Oct 1963 Died)
Tomás Alberto Clavel Méndez † (3 Mar 1964 Appointed - 18 Dec 1968 Resigned)
Marcos Gregorio McGrath, C.S.C. † (5 Feb 1969 Appointed - 18 Apr 1994 Retired)
José Dimas Cedeño Delgado (18 Apr 1994 Appointed - 18 Feb 2010 Retired)
José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta, O.S.A. (18 Feb 2010 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Diocese of Santa María de La Antigua del Darién
28 August 1513	Erected		Diocese of Santa María de La Antigua del Darién (erected) (Suffragan of Seville, Spain)
Diocese of Panamá
7 December 1520	Name Changed	Diocese of Santa María de La Antigua del Darién	Diocese of Panamá
24 April 1534	Territory Lost	Diocese of Panamá	Diocese of Cartagena (erected)
12 February 1546	Metropolitan Changed		Diocese of Panamá (From Sevilla (Spain) to Lima (Peru))
22 August 1546	Territory Lost	Diocese of Panamá	Diocese of Popayán (erected)
22 April 1836	Metropolitan Changed		Diocese of Panamá (from Lima (Peru) to Bogot (Columbia))
1901	Metropolitan Changed		Diocese of Panamá (from Bogot (Columbia) to Cartagena)
29 November 1925	Territory Lost	Diocese of Panamá	Vicariate Apostolic of Darién (erected)
Archdiocese of Panamá
29 November 1925	Elevated	Diocese of Panamá	Archdiocese of Panamá
6 March 1955	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Panamá (Bocas del Toro and Chiriquí)	Diocese of David (erected)
6 March 1955	Elevated		Archdiocese of Panamá (becomes a Metropolitan)
21 July 1962	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Panamá (Los Santos and Herrera)	Diocese of Chitré (erected)
13 July 1963	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Panamá (Veraguas)	Diocese of Santiago de Veraguas (erected)
30 April 1975	Territory Added	Vicariate Apostolic of Darién (Archipiélago de Las Perlas)	Archdiocese of Panamá
18 December 1993	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Panamá (Coclé)	Diocese of Penonomé (erected)

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

Archdiocese of Panamá

1949 530,000 550,000 96.4% 36 61 97 5,463 95 215 50 ap1951

1966 541,135 584,600 92.6% 35 93 128 4,227 21 44 ap1967

1970 659,000 689,200 95.6% 50 95 145 4,544 109 146 46 ap1971

1976 798,606 887,340 90.0% 47 105 152 5,253 138 303 56 ap1977

1980 898,299 998,110 90.0% 41 116 157 5,721 7 170 290 61 ap1981

1990 1,132,840 1,258,713 90.0% 72 113 185 6,123 19 198 313 89 ap1991

1999 985,000 1,094,000 90.0% 62 86 148 6,655 52 115 331 85 ap2000

2000 1,299,000 1,444,000 90.0% 86 127 213 6,098 51 182 331 87 ap2001

2001 1,299,000 1,444,000 90.0% 91 127 218 5,958 51 156 331 87 ap2002

2002 633,705 704,117 90.0% 91 112 203 3,121 52 142 218 86 ap2003

2003 633,705 704,117 90.0% 87 112 199 3,184 52 156 218 86 ap2004

2004 633,705 704,117 90.0% 80 117 197 3,216 48 161 218 88 ap2005

2013 1,648,000 1,740,000 94.7% 84 65 149 11,060 55 122 255 96 ap2014

2016 1,728,968 2,033,000 85.0% 84 121 205 8,433 68 236 256 96 ap2017

2019 1,777,600 2,090,700 85.0% 88 88 176 10,100 86 195 256 84 ap2020

2021 1,828,475 2,151,000 85.0% 88 88 176 10,389 86 165 256 84 ap2022

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Archdiocese of Panamá
1949	530,000	550,000	96.4%	36	61	97	5,463		95	215	50	ap1951
1966	541,135	584,600	92.6%	35	93	128	4,227			21	44	ap1967
1970	659,000	689,200	95.6%	50	95	145	4,544		109	146	46	ap1971
1976	798,606	887,340	90.0%	47	105	152	5,253		138	303	56	ap1977
1980	898,299	998,110	90.0%	41	116	157	5,721	7	170	290	61	ap1981
1990	1,132,840	1,258,713	90.0%	72	113	185	6,123	19	198	313	89	ap1991
1999	985,000	1,094,000	90.0%	62	86	148	6,655	52	115	331	85	ap2000
2000	1,299,000	1,444,000	90.0%	86	127	213	6,098	51	182	331	87	ap2001
2001	1,299,000	1,444,000	90.0%	91	127	218	5,958	51	156	331	87	ap2002
2002	633,705	704,117	90.0%	91	112	203	3,121	52	142	218	86	ap2003
2003	633,705	704,117	90.0%	87	112	199	3,184	52	156	218	86	ap2004
2004	633,705	704,117	90.0%	80	117	197	3,216	48	161	218	88	ap2005
2013	1,648,000	1,740,000	94.7%	84	65	149	11,060	55	122	255	96	ap2014
2016	1,728,968	2,033,000	85.0%	84	121	205	8,433	68	236	256	96	ap2017
2019	1,777,600	2,090,700	85.0%	88	88	176	10,100	86	195	256	84	ap2020
2021	1,828,475	2,151,000	85.0%	88	88	176	10,389	86	165	256	84	ap2022

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

Francisco de Abrego, O.S. † (Bishop: 15 Feb 1566 to 26 Jul 1574)
Juan de Argüelles, O.S.A. † (Bishop: 18 May 1699 to 21 Mar 1711)
Uriah Adolphus Ashley Maclean † (Priest: 15 Aug 1979 to 18 Dec 1993; Auxiliary Bishop: 25 Jun 2015 to 26 Apr 2019)
Francisco Beckmann, C.M. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 25 May 1940; Archbishop: 13 Jan 1945 to 30 Oct 1963)
Tomás de Berlanga, O.P. † (Bishop: 11 Feb 1534 to 1537)
Juan José Cabarcas González y Argüello † (Bishop: 24 Jul 1835 to 15 Apr 1847)
Antonio Calderón de León † (Bishop: 23 May 1598 to 4 Jul 1605)
Francisco de la Cámara y Raya, O.P. † (Bishop: 15 Apr 1613 to 18 Aug 1624)
José María Carrizo Villarreal † (Priest: 20 Dec 1942 to 21 Jan 1963)
Agustín de Carvajal, O.S.A. † (Bishop: 18 Jul 1605 to 7 May 1612)
Juan de Castañeda Velásquez y Salazar † (Bishop: 9 Jul 1742 to 20 Jan 1749)
Tomás Alberto Clavel Méndez † (Priest: 7 Dec 1947 to 24 Jul 1955; Archbishop: 3 Mar 1964 to 18 Dec 1968)
Martin de Bejar, O.F.M. † (Bishop: 1527 to 1530)
Diego de Salinas y Cabrera, O.S.A. † (Bishop: 1741 to 1741)
Diego López de Vergara y Aguilar † (Bishop: 8 Aug 1662)
Pedro Duque de Rivera, S.J. † (Bishop: 27 Jul 1594 to Dec 1594)
José Higinio Durán y Martel, O. de M. † (Bishop: 18 Dec 1815 to 22 Oct 1823)
Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita † (Bishop: 16 Nov 1676 to 29 Mar 1688)
Manuel Joaquín González de Acuña y Saenz † (Bishop: 24 Jul 1797 to 20 Jul 1813)
José Antonio Humeres y Miranda † (Bishop: 15 Dec 1777 to 11 Sep 1791)
Bernardo de Izaguirre de los Reyes † (Bishop: 21 Apr 1655 to 31 Jul 1662)
Francisco Javier Junguito, S.J. † (Bishop: 15 Apr 1901 to 21 Oct 1911)
Diego Ladrón de Guevara † (Bishop: 6 Jun 1689 to 11 Apr 1699)
Remigio de La Santa y Ortega † (Bishop: 18 Jun 1792 to 24 Jul 1797)
Bartolomé de Ledesma, O.P. † (Bishop: 20 Oct 1580 to 3 Jun 1583)
Antonio de León y Becerra † (Bishop: 21 Mar 1672 to 19 Oct 1676)
Carlos Ambrosio Lewis Tullock, S.V.D. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 22 Jun 1965 to 22 May 1986)
Juan José Llamas Rivas, O. Carm. † (Bishop: 13 Jun 1714 to 1 Apr 1719)
Simón López García, C.O. † (Bishop: 1814 to 18 Dec 1815)
Francisco Javier de Luna Victoria y Castro † (Bishop: 17 May 1751 to 13 Mar 1758)
Juan José Maíztegui y Besoitaiturria, C.M.F. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 1932; Archbishop: 24 Feb 1933 to 28 Sep 1943)
Juan Francisco del Rosario Manfredo y Ballestas † (Coadjutor Bishop: 24 Apr 1845; Bishop: 16 Apr 1847 to 21 Apr 1850)
Felipe Manrique de Lara † (Bishop: 21 Jul 1749 to 23 Feb 1750)
Cristóbal Martínez de Salas, O. Praem. † (Bishop: 27 Oct 1625 to 22 Oct 1640)
Bartolomé Martinez Menacho y Mesa (Mechado) † (Bishop: 27 Apr 1587 to 30 Apr 1593)
Marcos Gregorio McGrath, C.S.C. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 8 Aug 1961 to 3 Mar 1964; Archbishop: 5 Feb 1969 to 18 Apr 1994)
Manuel de Mercado Aldrete, O.S.H. † (Bishop: 28 Mar 1576 to 4 Apr 1580)
Valentín Moran Menéndez, O. de M. † (Bishop: 23 Sep 1750 to 15 Mar 1751)
Pedro Morcillo Rubio de Auñón † (Bishop: 17 Sep 1731 to 18 Apr 1742)
Miguel Moreno y Ollo † (Bishop: 19 Dec 1763 to 12 Mar 1770)
Daniel Enrique Núñez Núñez †
Sancho Pardo Cárdenas y Figueroa † (Bishop: 24 Mar 1664 to Jan 1671)
Ignacio Antonio Parra † (Bishop: 21 Mar 1870 to 19 Aug 1875)
José Telésphor Paúl y Vargas, S.J. † (Bishop: 17 Sep 1875 to 6 Aug 1884)
Jose Alejandro Peralta † (Bishop: 4 Jun 1886 to 8 Jul 1899)
Vicente de Peraza (Pirez), O.P. † (Bishop: 5 Dec 1520 to 1526)
Juan de Quevedo Villegas, O.F.M. Obs. † (Bishop: 9 Sep 1513 to 24 Dec 1519)
Hernando de Ramírez y Sánchez, O.SS.T. † (Bishop: 16 Sep 1641 to 11 Apr 1652)
Francisco de los Ríos y Armengol, O.P. † (Bishop: 28 May 1770 to 17 Nov 1776)
Agustín Rodríguez Delgado † (Bishop: 19 Dec 1725 to 17 Dec 1731)
Guillermo Rojas y Arrieta, C.M. † (Bishop: 21 Mar 1912; Archbishop: 14 Dec 1925 to 4 Feb 1933)
Juan Manuel Jerónimo de Romaní y Carrillo † (Bishop: 13 Mar 1758 to 26 Sep 1763)
Bernardo de Serreda y Villate, O. Carm. † (Bishop: 3 Mar 1721 to 19 Dec 1725)
Juan B. Taborga y Durana (Tabarga) † (Bishop: 23 Feb 1750 to Jul 1750)
Pablo de Torres, O.P. † (Bishop: 27 Jan 1546 to 1560)
Fernando Torres Durán † (Auxiliary Bishop: 29 Nov 1996 to 2 Jul 1999)
Juan de Vaca (Baca), O.S.B. † (Bishop: 27 Jun 1561 to 1565)
Vicente de Valverde, O.P. † (Bishop: 1533)
Pablo Varela Server † (Priest: 28 Jun 1970; Auxiliary Bishop: 26 Feb 2004 to 26 Apr 2019)
Eduardo Vásquez, O.P. † (Vicar Apostolic: 20 Dec 1853; Bishop: 17 Aug 1855 to 3 Jan 1870)

Source(s)

Diocese of Panamá
- Series Episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Volume 1, Page 157, to Page 158
Archdiocese of Panamá
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 47, Page 532, and Page 533
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 67, Page 344, and Page 345

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Archdiocese of Panamá

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