The Archdiocese of San Cristóbal de la Habana (
Spanish: Archdiocese of San Cristóbal de La Habana,
Latin: Archidioecesis Avanensis) is one of three Catholic
archdioceses in
Cuba.[1][2]
The diocese was erected on 10 September 1787 by
Pope Pius VI, from the territory of the then–
Diocese of Santiago de Cuba. When it was erected, the new diocese encompassed the secular provinces of
Santa Clara,
Matanzas,
Havana, and
Pinar del Río in Cuba and
Florida and
Louisiana in what is now the
United States of America. On 25 April 1793 the diocese lost territory for what would be the first of four territorial losses when the
Diocese of Louisiana and the Two Floridas (Saint Louis of New Orleans) was erected. The diocese again lost territory on 20 February 1903 when the dioceses of Pinar del Río and
Cienfuegos were erected, and then again on 10 December 1912 upon the erection of the diocese of Matanzas. Eventually the diocese was elevated to the
Metropolitan See of Sancti Christophori de Habana, San Cristobal de la Habana on 6 January 1925.
The archdiocese encompasses 7,542 square kilometres (2,912 sq mi) and has two
suffragan dioceses, Matanzas and Pinar del Río. According to a 2004 estimate, there were a total of 3.9 million people living within the confines of the diocese, 71.8% or 2.8 million of whom were Catholic. There were 49 diocesan priests and 62 religious priests, totaling 111 priests serving the faithful of the diocese. With these figures, there were approximately 25,225 Catholics per priest. There were 23
permanent deacons and 79 male and 348 female religious. In 2004, there were 102 established parishes.
Bonaventure Broderick † (Auxiliary Bishop: 7 September 1903; Coadjutor Bishop: 9 November 1903 to 1 March 1905)
Francisco Ramón Valentín de Casaus y Torres,
OP † (Apostolic Administrator: 24 February 1836 to 10 November 1845)
Juan José Díaz de Espada y Fernánez de Landa † (Bishop: 11 August 1800 to 12 August 1832)
Evelio Diaz-Cia † (Priest: 12 September 1926 to 26 December 1941; Auxiliary Bishop: 21 March 1959; Coadjutor Archbishop: 14 November 1959; Archbishop: 21 March 1963 to 26 January 1970)
José Maximino Eusebio Domínguez y Rodríguez † (Priest: 13 June 1943; Auxiliary Bishop: 31 March 1960 to 18 July 1961)
Ramón Fernández Piérola y Lopez de Luzuriaca † (Bishop: 4 September 1879 to 17 March 1887)
Francisco Fleix Soláus † (Bishop: 14 January 1846 to 22 September 1864)
José González de Cándamo y Cauniego † (Auxiliary Bishop: 3 July 1798 to 12 September 1801)
Pedro Ladislao González y Estrada † (Bishop: 16 September 1903 to 3 January 1925)