Archdiocese of Mérida–Badajoz Archidioecesis Emeritensis Augustanus–Pacensis Archidiócesis de Mérida–Badajoz
Badajoz Cathedral
Location
Country	Spain
Ecclesiastical province	Mérida–Badajoz
Statistics
Area	17,405 km2 (6,720 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2004) 585,290 581,414 (99.3%)
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	1255 (As Diocese of Badajoz) 28 July 1994 (As Archdiocese of Mérida–Badajoz)
Cathedral	Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Badajoz
Co-cathedral	Co-Cathedral of Saint Mary Major, Mérida
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Metropolitan Archbishop	Celso Morga Iruzubieta (formerly, Coadjutor Archbishop until Thursday, May 21, 2015) [1] [2]
Suffragans	Diocese of Coria-Cáceres Diocese of Plasencia
Bishops emeritus	Santiago García Aracil Archbishop Emeritus (retired in 2015)
Map
Website
Website of the Archdiocese

The Archdiocese of Mérida–Badajoz ( Latin: Archidioecesis Emeritensis Augustanus–Pacensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory of the Catholic Church in Spain, created in 1255. Until 1994, it was known as the Diocese of Badajoz. ^{[3] [4]}

History

The Diocese (dioecesis Emeritensis) was a Catholic and Arian see centred on the Spanish city of Mérida during the periods of Roman and Visigothic rule. Mérida was also the provincial capital of Lusitania.

The see prospered in the late 5th century under Zeno, a Greek, who was offered greater authority in order to defend the province from Suevic raids. At about that time the diocese fell under the control of the Visigoths and it remained a Visigothic see until the Moorish conquest of 711. Throughout that period, however, it only ever had two Gothic bishops: Masona and his successor Renovatus in the late sixth and early seventh centuries. In the mid-sixth century the see became the richest in Spain through the private wealth of bishops Paul and Fidelis, Greek uncle and nephew. Under these four, the city was ruled de facto by the bishops independent of the central government, a situation which led to conflict between the Arian king Leovigild and his bishop, Sunna.

The bishopric of Badajoz was erected in 1225, shortly after it was reconquered from the Moors by King Alfonso IX of León. Its first bishop was Don Pedro Perez, appointed by Alfonso X, the Wise. The diocese was suffragan to the archdiocese of Seville, and was bounded on the north by the diocese of Coria, diocese of Plasencia, and diocese of Toledo, on the east by Toledo, the diocese of Ciudad Real, and the diocese of Córdoba, on the south by the archdiocese of Seville, and on the west by Portugal. ^[5]

On July 28, 1994, Pope John Paul II established the Archdiocese of Mérida–Badajoz, making the Church of Saint John Baptist its metropolitan cathedral. ^[6]

Suffragan dioceses

• Coria–Cáceres
• Plasencia

Ordinaries

Diocese of Badajoz

Erected: 1255

Bishops before 1500

1500s

1600s

1700s

1800s

1900s

Archdiocese of Mérida–Badajoz

Elevated: 28 July 1994

• Antonio Montero Moreno (3 May 1980 – 9 Jul 2004 Retired)
• Santiago García Aracil (9 Jul 2004 – 21 May 2015 Retired)
• Celso Morga Iruzubieta (21 May 2015 Succeeded – )

Auxiliary bishops

• Fernando de Vera y Zuñiga (1614–1628).

Notes

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). " Badjoz". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

38°52′42″N 6°58′10″W / 38.8784°N 6.9695°W / 38.8784; -6.9695