Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cochabamba, Bolivia 🇧🇴

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Cochabamba / Cochabamben(sis) (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Oruro, Aiquile

Neighbouring Dioceses: Oruro (←), Corocoro (←), La Paz (↖), Reyes (↖), El Beni (↑), Santa Cruz de la Sierra (↗), Aiquile (→), Potosí (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1847.06.25: Established as Diocese of Cochabamba / Cochabamben(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of La Plata and Diocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra and became suffragan of La Plata)
1961.12.11: Lost territory to establish Territorial Prelature of Aiquile
1975.07.30: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cochabamba / Cochabamben(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Oruro and Aiquile)

Papal Visits

Pope John Paul II (1988.05)

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2014.09.24 – ...):	Archbishop Oscar Omar Aparicio Céspedes (66)
Auxiliary Bishop (2021.06.24 – ...):	Bishop Víctor Iván Vargas Galarza (57) Titular Bishop of Bladia

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Cochabamba (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Oscar Omar Aparicio Céspedes (66)
(2014.09.24 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia)

Dominus pars

Born:	1959.09.26 (La Paz, Bolivia)
Ordained Priest:	1987.11.29
Consecrated Bishop:	2002.07.25

Priest of La Paz (Bolivia) (1987.11.29 – 2002.05.29)

Titular Bishop of Citium (2002.05.29 – 2012.04.04)

Auxiliary Bishop of La Paz (Bolivia) (2002.05.29 – 2012.04.04)

General Secretary of Episcopal Conference of Bolivia (2009 – 2012.12)

Military Ordinary of Bolivia (Bolivia) (2012.04.04 – 2014.09.24)

President of Episcopal Conference of Bolivia (2012.12 – 2015.11.06)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (2014.09.24 – ...)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Bolivia (2015.11.06 – 2021.11.12)

Archbishop Tito Solari Capellari, S.D.B. (86)
(1999.07.08 – 2014.09.24)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Cochabamba (Bolivia)

Llamado a servir

Born:	1939.09.02 (Pesariis di Prato Carnico, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1966.12.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1987.03.19

Titular Bishop of Aquæ novæ in Numidia (1986.12.16 – 1998.03.07)

Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia) (1986.12.16 – 1998.03.07)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1998.03.07 – 1999.07.08)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1999.07.08 – 2014.09.24)

Archbishop René Fernández Apaza
(1988.04.16 – 1999.07.08)

Born:	1924.01.09 (Padilla, Bolivia)
Ordained Priest:	1948.11.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1968.04.21
Died:	2013.08.14 (Cochabamba, Bolivia † 89)

Bishop of Oruro (Bolivia) (1968.03.02 – 1981.11.21)

Military Vicar of Bolivia (Bolivia) (1975.07.30 – 1986.05.17)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Sucre (Bolivia) (1981.11.21 – 1983.11.30)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Sucre (Bolivia) (1983.11.30 – 1988.04.16)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1988.04.16 – 1999.07.08)

Archbishop Gennaro Maria Prata Vuolo, S.D.B.
(1981.11.21 – 1987.09.19)

Born:	1923.09.20 (Roccamonfina, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1951.07.02
Consecrated Bishop:	1961.04.09
Died:	2005.09.29 (Sessa Aurunca, Italy † 82)

Titular Bishop of Hadriania (1960.12.09 – 1981.11.21)

Auxiliary Bishop of La Paz (Bolivia) (1960.12.09 – 1981.11.21)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1981.11.21 – 1987.09.19)

Archbishop José Armando Gutiérrez Granier
(1975.07.30 – 1980.07.21)

Born:	1909.06.03 (Antofagasta, Bolivia)
Ordained Priest:	1951.04.01
Consecrated Bishop:	1954.04.25
Died:	1992.06.06 († 83)

Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia) (1954.01.19 – 1956)

Titular Bishop of Pionia (1954.01.19 – 1965.08.19)

Auxiliary Bishop of La Paz (Bolivia) (1956 – 1965.08.19)

Bishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1965.08.19 – 1975.07.30)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1975.07.30 – 1980.07.21)

President of Episcopal Conference of Bolivia (1979 – 1980)

Bishops of Cochabamba (Roman Rite)

Bishop José Armando Gutiérrez Granier (later Archbishop)
(1965.08.19 – 1975.07.30)

(see above)

Bishop Juan Tarsicio Senner, O.F.M.
(1951.10.26 – 1965.08.19)

Born:	1895.08.03 (Musan, Austria)
Ordained Priest:	1919.11.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1942.06.29
Died:	1985.04.23 († 89)

Vicar Apostolic of Chiquitos (Bolivia) (1942.02.25 – 1949)

Titular Bishop of Rusadus (1942.02.25 – 1951.10.26)

Auxiliary Bishop of Sucre (Bolivia) (1949 – 1951.10.26)

Bishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1951.10.26 – 1965.08.19)

Titular Bishop of Equizetum (1965.08.19 – 1976.01.23)

Bishop Bertoldo Bühl, O.F.M.
(Apostolic Administrator 1943 – 1951.10.26)

Bishop Tomás Aspe, O.F.M.
(1931.06.08 – 1942.11.21)

Born:	1885.10.09 (Azcoaga, Spain)
Ordained Priest:	1910.06.26
Consecrated Bishop:	1931.06.21
Died:	1962.01.22 († 76)

Bishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1931.06.08 – 1942.11.21)

Titular Bishop of Callinicum (1942.11.21 – 1962.01.22)

Bishop Julio Garret
(1924.11.13 – 1929.12.28)

Born:	1888.12.20 (Sucre, Bolivia)
Ordained Priest:	1911.12.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1925.03.15
Died:	1968.04.19 († 79)

Bishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1924.11.13 – 1929.12.28)

Bishop Luigi Francesco Pierini, O.F.M. (later Archbishop)
(1918.02.20 – 1923.10.31)

Born:	1871.10.22 (Bagnaia, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1894.02.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1918.05.30
Died:	1939.10.28 († 68)

Bishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1918.02.20 – 1923.10.31)

Metropolitan Archbishop of La Plata (Bolivia) (1923.10.31 – 1924.11.11)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Sucre (Bolivia) (1924.11.11 – 1939.10.28)

Bishop Giacinto Anaya
(1897.08.18 – 1915.12.17)

Born:	1839.08.16 (Cochabamba, Bolivia)
Ordained Priest:	1866.08.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1898.03.20
Died:	1915.12.17 († 76)

Bishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1897.08.18 – 1915.12.17)

Bishop Francisco María Del Granado
(1871.08.25 – 1895.09.25)

Born:	1835.08.19 (Cochabamba, Bolivia)
Ordained Priest:	1858.12.04
Consecrated Bishop:	1868.11.30
Died:	1895.09.25 († 60)

Auxiliary Bishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1868.06.22 – 1870.03.21)

Titular Bishop of Troas (1868.06.22 – 1895.09.25)

Coadjutor Bishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1870.03.21 – 1871.08.25)

Bishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1871.08.25 – 1895.09.25)

Bishop Rafael Salinas
(1857.03.19 – 1871.08.25)

Born:	1796.10.25 (La Plata, Argentina)
Ordained Priest:	1820.04.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1857.08.24
Died:	1871.08.25 († 74)

Bishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1857.03.19 – 1871.08.25)

Bishop José María Yánez de Montenegro
(1848.04.14 – 1854.11.24)

Born:	1791.11.28 (La Paz, Bolivia)
Ordained Priest:	1819.01.24
Consecrated Bishop:	1849.01.14
Died:	1854.11.24 († 62)

Bishop of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1848.04.14 – 1854.11.24)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop Tito Solari Capellari, S.D.B. (86) (1998.03.07 – 1999.07.08)
Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Francisco María Del Granado (1870.03.21 – 1871.08.25)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Juan Gómez (63) (2018.12.27 – 2024.10.18)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Carlos Enrique Curiel Herrera, Sch. P. (65) (2018.12.27 – 2021.03.30)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Robert Herman Flock Bever (69) (2012.10.31 – 2016.11.04)
Auxiliary Bishop: Archbishop Luis Sáinz Hinojosa, O.F.M. (2001.09.12 – 2012.08.29)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Angelo Gelmi Bertocchi (1985.04.04 – 2013.05.31)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Manuel Revollo Crespo, C.M.F. (1985.04.04 – 1993.09.18)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Luis Sáinz Hinojosa, O.F.M. (later Archbishop) (1982.05.08 – 1987.02.24)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Abel Costas Montaño (1968.11.11 – 1974.12.11)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Luis Aníbal Rodríguez Pardo (later Archbishop) (1956.07.28 – 1958.05.23)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Francisco María Del Granado (1868.06.22 – 1870.03.21)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Catedral Metropolitana San Sebastián, Cochabamba, Cochabamba
Shrine: Cristo de la Concordia, Cochabamba, Cochabamba
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Oruro (←), Corocoro (←), La Paz (↖), Reyes (↖), El Beni (↑), Santa Cruz de la Sierra (↗), Aiquile (→), Potosí (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 32,306 km²

Population: 1,682,590 Catholics (82.0% of 2,052,340 total)

Pastoral Centres: 74 parishes, 4 missions

Personnel: 240 priests (95 diocesan, 145 religious), 36 deacons, 962 religious (420 brothers, 542 sisters), 29 seminarians