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The Military Ordinariate in El Salvador () is a
Latin Church The Latin Church () is the largest autonomous () particular church within the Catholic Church, whose members constitute the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Catholics. The Latin Church is one of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical ...
ecclesiastical territory or military ordinariate of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
with jurisdiction over Catholics serving in the
Armed Forces of El Salvador The Armed Forces of El Salvador () are the official governmental military forces of El Salvador. The Forces have three branches: the Salvadoran Army, the Salvadoran Air Force and the Navy of El Salvador. History Spanish colonial rule In the 19 ...
. While not a
diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
, the ordinary of the ordinariate is a
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
. The ordinariate is exempt directly to the
Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...
and the Roman Congregation for Bishops. It is headquartered Calle Los Eucaliptos y Avda. Las Gardenias 157, Colonia Las Mercedes in
San Salvador San Salvador () is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its San Salvador Department, eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and fin ...
, the national capital of
El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...
, in
Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
.


History

It was established as a Military vicariate of El Salvador on 25 March 1968, with the first military vicar appointed on 4 November 1968. It was elevated to a military ordinariate on 21 July 1986. According to an online news brief from
Catholic News Service Catholic News Service (CNS) is an American news agency owned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) that reports on the Catholic Church. The agency's domestic (United States) service shut down on 30 December 2022, but CNS ...
(CNS) posted on Tuesday, September 11, 2012, Bishop
Fabio Reynaldo Colindres Abarca Fabio Reynaldo Colindres Abarca (born in Ilobasco, Cabañas, El Salvador on June 20, 1961) is a Catholic Bishop, Professor, Salvadoran Christian theologian. Biography He was born on June 20, 1961 in the city of Ilobasco located in the Depart ...
and former guerrilla commander Raul Mijango mediated a truce between El Salvador's two most prominently violent gangs,
MS-13 Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, is an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s. Originally, the gang was set up to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs in the Los Angeles area ...
(
Mara Salvatrucha Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, is an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s. Originally, the gang was set up to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs in the Los Angeles area ...
) and
Barrio 18 The 18th Street Gang, also known as , , , or simply in North America, is a multi-ethnic (largely Central American and Mexican) street gang in Los Angeles. It is one of the largest street gangs in Los Angeles, with around 30,000–50,000 memb ...
which had roots in civil war-era young Salvadorans who illegally entered the U.S. and experienced the gangs there before deportation, and the government.


Statistics

As per 2014, it provides
pastoral care ''The Book of Pastoral Rule'' (Latin: ''Liber Regulae Pastoralis'', ''Regula Pastoralis'' or ''Cura Pastoralis'' — sometimes translated into English ''Pastoral Care'') is a treatise on the responsibilities of the clergy written by Pope Greg ...
to Roman Catholics serving in the
Armed Forces of El Salvador The Armed Forces of El Salvador () are the official governmental military forces of El Salvador. The Forces have three branches: the Salvadoran Army, the Salvadoran Air Force and the Navy of El Salvador. History Spanish colonial rule In the 19 ...
and their families in 37 parishes with 38 priests (diocesan) and 6 seminarians.


Ordinaries

;''Military Vicar of El Salvador'' * José Eduardo Alvarez Ramírez, C.M. (appointed 4 November 1968 – ''see below'' became military ordinary 21 July 1986),
Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...
of Tabunia (1965.10.07 – 1969.12.09), also
Auxiliary Bishop An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions. ...
of
San Salvador San Salvador () is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its San Salvador Department, eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and fin ...
(El Salvador) (1965.10.07 – 1968.11.04) ;'' Military Ordinaries of El Salvador'' * José Eduardo Alvarez Ramírez,
Congregation of the Mission The Congregation of the Mission (), abbreviated CM and commonly called the Vincentians or Lazarists, is a Catholic Church, Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right for men founded by Vincent de Paul. It is associated with the Vin ...
(C.M.) (''see above'' 21 July 1986 – resigned 7 March 1987), also Bishop of San Miguel (El Salvador) (1969.12.09 – retired 1997.04.10) and President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (1980 – 1983), died 2000 * Roberto Joaquín Ramos Umaña (appointed 7 March 1987 – died 23 June 1993),
Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...
of Sebarga (1987.03.07 – 1993.06.23) * ''
Apostolic Administrator An apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...
Fernando Sáenz Lacalle (1993.07.03 – 1997.06.19), while first Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Ana (El Salvador) (1984.12.22 – 1995.04.22) and Titular Bishop of Tabbora (1984.12.22 – 1995.04.22), later Metropolitan Archbishop of
San Salvador San Salvador () is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its San Salvador Department, eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and fin ...
(1995.04.22 – retired 2008.12.27) and President of Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (1998 – 2008.12.27)'' * ''Apostolic Administrator Father Luis Morao Andreazza,
Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (commonly called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the t ...
(O.F.M.) (1997.06.19 – 2003.11.12), later Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Ana (El Salvador) (2003.11.12 – 2007.04.21) and Titular Bishop of Tullia (2003.11.12 – 2007.04.21), then Bishop of Chalatenango (El Salvador) (2007.04.21 – retired 2016.07.14)'' * ''Apostolic Administrator Fabio Reynaldo Colindres Abarca'' (2003.11.12 – 2008.02.02 ''see below'') *
Fabio Reynaldo Colindres Abarca Fabio Reynaldo Colindres Abarca (born in Ilobasco, Cabañas, El Salvador on June 20, 1961) is a Catholic Bishop, Professor, Salvadoran Christian theologian. Biography He was born on June 20, 1961 in the city of Ilobasco located in the Depart ...
(''see above'', appointed February 2, 2008 – February 22, 2020); also Apostolic Administrator of
Sonsonate Sonsonate () is a city and district of El Salvador, of which it is also its municipal seat. It has an estimated population of 71,980 inhabitants for the year 2020. Sonsonate is the second most important city in western El Salvador. The town was ...
(El Salvador) (2011.10.08 – 2012.06.11); appointed Bishop of San Miguel 2017.12.07 * Reinaldo Sorto Martínez (appointed June 6 2024); Priest of San Salvador (El Salvador) (May 5, 1994 – June 6, 2024)


See also

* List of Catholic dioceses in El Salvador


References


Obispado Castrense en El Salvador
(GCatholic.org - data for all sections)

(Catholic-Hierarchy) {{DEFAULTSORT:El Salvador, Military Ordinariate Roman Catholic dioceses in El Salvador Military ordinariates