The Diocese of Jaca () is a

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

ecclesiastical territory or

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 ...

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 ...

in the northeastern Spanish province of

Huesca Huesca (; ) is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon between 1096 and 1118. It is also the capital of the Spanish Huesca (province), ...

, part of the

autonomous community The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Sp ...

Aragón Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to south): Huesca, Zaragoza, a ...

. The diocese is a

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...

in the

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian churches, including those of both Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity, that have traditional hierarchical structures. An ecclesiastical province consist ...

of the

metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ar ...

Archdiocese of Pamplona y Tudela."Diocese of Jaca"
''

Catholic-Hierarchy.org ''Catholic-Hierarchy.org'' is an online database of bishops and dioceses of the Latin Church and the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches that are in full communion with Rome. The website, not officially sanctioned by the Church, is run as a private pro ...

''. Retrieved November 30, 2016."Diocese of Jaca"
GCatholic.org. Retrieved February 29, 2016. The territory of the Diocese of Jaca was originally administered by the

Diocese of Huesca The Diocese of Huesca (Latin, ''Oscensis'') 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 ...

, but after the

Moorish The term Moor is an exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a single, distinct or self-defi ...

conquest of

in 713, its bishops, (known as the itinerant "Bishops of Aragon"), moved to Aragon. The

episcopal see An episcopal see is the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, making it synonymous with ''diocese'' ...

was established in

Jaca Jaca (; in Aragonese language, Aragonese: ''Chaca'' or ''Xaca'') is a city of northeastern Spain in the province of Huesca (province), Huesca, located near the Pyrenees and the border with France. Jaca is an ancient fort on the Aragón (river), ...

during 1063–1096, then moved back to Huesca after king Pedro I of

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

retook the city from the

Moors The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a s ...

in November 1096. The Diocese of Jaca was created in 1572, carved out of the diocese of Huesca.

Jaca cathedral The Cathedral of Saint Peter () is a Catholic cathedral located in Jaca, Spain. It is the seat of the Diocese of Jaca. It is the first Romanesque architecture, Romanesque cathedral built in Aragon, and one of the oldest in the Iberian peninsula. ...

is dedicated to aint Peter Consecrated in the late 11th century and altered in the 15th–18th centuries, it is Romanesque in its architectural style. The church of San Adrián de Sasabe, in Sasabe (also in Huesca province) was an earlier diocesan cathedral. A religious and civil festival is held on the first Friday of May, locally referred to as "''Primer Viernes de Mayo''", in memory of a victory said to have been won over the Moors in the 8th century by Count Aznar aided by the women of Jaca. It is celebrated with a solemn procession in which the entire

cathedral chapter According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. In ...

takes part. There are many

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Chr ...

ages around Jaca, but none more interesting than that of San Juan de la Peña, ensconced within a cave in the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...

. This shrine was also a monastery, royal mausoleum and was claimed to be one of the many hiding places of the

Holy Grail The Holy Grail (, , , ) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miraculous healing powers, sometimes providing eternal youth or sustenanc ...

in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. It continues to be a stop along the

Camino de Santiago The Camino de Santiago (, ; ), or the Way of St. James in English, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle James in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tra ...

for many pilgrims and tourists. In another cave, dedicated to La Virgen de la Cueva, locals gather annually to pay homage to "Our Lade of the Cave", a venerated shrine where Garcí Ximénez was proclaimed first King of Sobrarbe in the 8th century.

History

Jaca was once the capital of the

Iacetani The Iacetani or Jacetani (, or ) were a pre-Roman people who populated the area north of Aragon (Spain). They settled the Ebro valley, specifically in the area along the Pyrenees. Its capital was ''Iaca'' (now Jaca). According to Strabo, their l ...

, a tribe mentioned by

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

. This territory was the scene of battles between

Sertorius Quintus Sertorius ( – 73 or 72 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who led a large-scale rebellion against the Roman Senate on the Iberian Peninsula. Defying the regime of Sulla, Sertorius became the independent ruler of Hispania for m ...

and

Pompey Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey ( ) or Pompey the Great, was a Roman general and statesman who was prominent in the last decades of the Roman Republic. ...

and later between Pompey's son Sextus and

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war. He ...

's generals.

Itinerant bishops of Aragon (713–1063)

Ecclesiastically, Jaca originally belonged to the

. When in 713 the town of

was seized by the

, the bishop fled and the diocese was directed from

by itinerant

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 ...

s, sometimes called bishops of

, sometimes bishops of Huesca or Jaca, who lived either at Jaca or in the neighbouring monasteries of San Juan de la Peña, San Pedro de Siresa and San Adrián de Sasabe. Among the itinerant bishops of Aragon were: * c. 920: Iñigo * c. 922: Ferriolus * 933–947: Fortuño * 971–978: Aureolus * c. 981: Atón * 1011–1036: Mancius * 1036–1057: García * 1058–1075: Sancho * 1058–1075: Sancho * 1076–1086: García Ramírez * 1087–1097: Peter A council held at Jaca in 1063 determined anew the boundaries of the

, which thereafter included the present dioceses of Huesca, Jaca and

Barbastro Barbastro (Latin: ''Barbastrum'' or ''Civitas Barbastrensis'', Aragonese: ''Balbastro'') is a city in the Somontano county, province of Huesca, Spain. The city (also known originally as Barbastra or Bergiduna) is at the junction of the rivers C ...

, as well as a part of the

Diocese of Lérida The Diocese of Lleida, or Diocese of Lerida () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church located in north-eastern Spain, in the province of Lleida, part of the autonomous community of Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community ...

. Jaca was then made the permanent seat of the

. At the same time Sancho was appointed Bishop of Huesca (1058–1075) and hastened to request the

Pope Alexander II Pope Alexander II (1010/1015 – 21 April 1073), born Anselm of Baggio, was the head of the Roman Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1061 to his death in 1073. Born in Milan, Anselm was deeply involved in the Pataria reform mo ...

to confirm the decisions of the council. In the same year of 1063, however, King Sancho Ramirez of Aragon (1063–1094) had won back from the Moors the city of

, and had granted it to the Bishop of Roda. García Ramírez, the new Bishop of Huesca (1076–1086) and brother of the king, regarded this as an infringement of the rights of jurisdiction granted the Bishop of Jaca by the Council of Jaca. He therefore renewed his petition to the new pope ( Gregory VII) to have the decisions of the council confirmed, which request the pope granted (cf. Jaffé, "Reg. Pont. Roman", I, 2nd ed., Berlin, 1885, n. 5098). As, however, Bishop Raimundo of Roda also obtained the confirmation of all his privileges from Gregory, a violent dispute arose between the Bishops of Huesca and Roda as to jurisdiction over the churches of Barbastro, Bielsa, Gistao and Alquezar, which in 1080 was decided by the king in favour of the Bishop of Roda.

The episcopal see returns to Huesca (1096–1572)

In November 1096, King Pedro I of

conquered

from the taifa of Zaragoza and restored the original see.

Pope Urban II Pope Urban II (; – 29 July 1099), otherwise known as Odo of Châtillon or Otho de Lagery, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 March 1088 to his death. He is best known for convening the Council of Clermon ...

decreed (May 11, 1098) that, instead of Jaca, Huesca should again be the seat of the bishop, as it had been until the year 713 (cf. Jaffé, "Reg. Pont. Roman", I, 2nd ed., Berlin, 1885, n. 5703). But Jaca itself had a separate existence under a vicar-general, independent of the Bishop of Huesca. It also retained its own cathedral chapter, which originally followed the Rule of St. Augustine, but in 1270 both this chapter and that of Huesca were secularized.

Diocese of Jaca (1572 to the present)

Jaca was again erected into a separate diocese and was made suffragan to the

Metropolitan See Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ...

Zaragoza Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...

by a

Bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not Castration, castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e. cows proper), bulls have long been an important symbol cattle in r ...

Pope Pius V Pope Pius V, OP (; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (and from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 January 1566 to his death, in May 1572. He was an ...

(July 18, 1571), which decision was carried into effect on February 26, 1572. The first bishop was Pedro del Frago. According to the diocesan statistics of 1907 Jaca possessed 73,659 inhabitants, 151

parishes A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

, 151 parish churches, 239 public and 10 private oratories, 236 secular priests, 30 regulars and 54

sisters A sister is a woman or a girl who shares parents or a parent with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to r ...

. The

religious institute In the Catholic Church, a religious institute is "a society in which members, according to proper law, pronounce public religious vows, vows, either perpetual or temporary which are to be renewed, however, when the period of time has elapsed, a ...

s in the diocese are: *

Augustinian Hermits The Order of Saint Augustine (), abbreviated OSA, is a mendicant religious order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1244 by bringing together several eremitical groups in the Tuscany region who were following the Rule of Saint Augustine, ...

, one

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

and

novitiate The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...

; *

Piarists The Piarists (), officially named the Order of Poor Clerics Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools (), abbreviated SchP, is a religious order of clerics regular of the Catholic Church founded in 1617 by Spanish priest Joseph Calasanz ...

, 2 houses for the training of boys; *

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

nuns, 1 convent and 18 professed sisters in the city of Jaca; * Sisters of Mercy of St. Anna, who have charge of the hospital at Jaca; * Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary, 1 house at Jaca; sisters of Mercy of

St. Vincent de Paul Vincent de Paul, Congregation of the Mission, CM (24 April 1581 – 27 September 1660), commonly known as Saint Vincent de Paul, was an Occitans, Occitan French Priesthood in the Catholic Church, Catholic priest who dedicated himself to serving ...

, with a school at Jaca; * Little Sisters of the Aged Poor, with a home for the aged in a suburb of Jaca.

Bishops of Jaca (1572 to the present)

# 1572–1577: Pedro del Frago #* 1577: Juan Pérez de Arneda (elected, did not assume) # 1578–1583: Gaspar Juan de la Figuera # 1584–1592: Pedro de Aragón # 1592–1594: Diego de Monreal # 1594–1606: Malaquías de Aso # 1607–1614: Tomás Cortés de Sangüesa # 1614–1615: Diego Ordóñez # 1615–1616: Pedro Fernández Zorrilla # 1616–1617: Felipe Guimerán # 1617–1622: Luis Díez Aux de Armendáriz # 1623–1626:

Juan Estelrich ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish language, Spanish and Manx language, Manx versions of ''John (given name), John''. The name is of Hebrew origin and has the meaning "God has been gracious." It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-spea ...

# 1627: José Palafox Palafox # 1628–1631:

Álvaro de Mendoza (bishop) Álvaro de Mendoza, O.F.M. or Alvaro Mendoza (died 1631) was a Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Jaca (1628–1631) and earlier as Bishop of L'Aquila (1622–1628)."Bishop Alvaro Mendoza, O.F.M."
''

''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved November 24, 2016 # 1631–1635: Vicente Domec # 1635–1646: Mauro de Villarroel # 1647–1648:

Juan Domingo Briz de Trujillo ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. The name is of Hebrew origin and has the meaning "God has been gracious." It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking countries around the world and in the Philippi ...

# 1649–1652: Jerónimo de Ipenza # 1655–1671: Bartolomé de Fontcalda # 1671–1673: Andrés Aznar Navés Rafael Lazcano, ''Episcopologio agustiniano''. Agustiniana. Guadarrama (Madrid) 2014, vol. I, 440-445 # 1673–1674:

José de Santolaria José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced very differently in each of the two languages: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , ...

# 1677–1683: Bernardo Mateo Sánchez de Castellar # 1683–1704: Miguel de Frías Espintel # 1705–1717:

Mateo Foncillos Mozárabe Mateo may refer to: People ;Name * Mateo (given name) * Mateo (surname) ;People named Mateo * Mateo (singer) (born 1986), former stage name of American pop/R&B singer-songwriter Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Mateo'' (1937 film), a 1937 Argen ...

# 1717–1720:

Francisco Polanco Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''. Meaning of the name Francisco In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed "Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Commu ...

# 1721–1727:

Miguel Estela --> Miguel is a given name and surname, the Portuguese and Spanish form of the Hebrew name Michael. It may refer to: Places * Pedro Miguel, a parish in the municipality of Horta and the island of Faial in the Azores Islands *São Miguel (disamb ...

# 1728: Antonio Sarmiento # 1728–1733: Pedro Espinosa de los Monteros # 1734–1738:

Ramón Nogués Ramón or Ramon may refer to: People Given name *Ramón (footballer, born 1950), Brazilian footballer * Ramón (footballer, born 1983), Brazilian footballer * Ramón (footballer, born 1988), Brazilian footballer *Ramón (footballer, born 1990), Br ...

# 1739–1750: Juan Domingo Manzano Carvajal # 1751–1755: Esteban Vilanova Colomer # 1756–1776: Pascual López Estaún # 1777–1779: Andrés Pérez Bermúdez # 1780–1784:

Julián Gascueña Julián is the Spanish equivalent of the name Julian. Notable people with the name include: * Julián, Julián Cuesta, Spanish footballer * Julián Orbón (1925–1991) Cuban composer * Julián Carrón (1950) Spanish Catholic theologian * Julián ...

# 1785–1802:

José Antonio López Gil José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced very differently in each of the two languages: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , ...

# 1803–1814:

Lorenzo Algüero Ribera Lorenzo may refer to: People * Lorenzo (name) Places Peru * San Lorenzo Island (Peru), sometimes referred to as the island of Lorenzo United States * Lorenzo, Illinois * Lorenzo, Texas * San Lorenzo, California, formerly Lorenzo * Lorenzo State ...

# 1815–1822: Cristóbal Pérez Viala # 1824–1828:

Leonardo Santander Villavicencio Leonardo or The Leonardo may refer to: Arts and entertainment * '' Leonardo Journal'', an arts journal * ''Leonardo'' (Italian magazine), a philosophy magazine published in Florence, Italy, in 1903–1907 * ''Leonardo'' (journal), published b ...

# 1829–1831:

Pedro Rodríguez Miranda Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for ''Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter. The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meaning ...

# 1832–1847:

Manuel María Gómez de las Rivas Manuel may refer to: People * Manuel (name), a given name and surname * Manuel (''Fawlty Towers''), a fictional character from the sitcom ''Fawlty Towers'' * Manuel I Komnenos, emperor of the Byzantine Empire * Manuel I of Portugal, king of Po ...

# 1848–1851: Miguel García Cuesta # 1852–1856: Juan José Biec Belio # 1857–1870: Pedro Lucas Asensio Poves # 1874–1890: Ramón Fernández Lafita # 1891–1899: José López Mendoza y García # 1900–1904:

Francisco Javier Valdés Noriega Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''. Meaning of the name Francisco In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed "Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Commu ...

# 1904–1913: Antolín López Peláez # 1913–1920: Manuel de Castro Alonso # 1920–1925: Francisco Frutos Valiente # 1926–1943: Juan Villar Sanz # 1946–1950:

José Bueno y Monreal José María Bueno y Monreal (11 September 1904 – 20 August 1987) was a Spanish cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Seville from 1957 to 1982, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1958. Biography Born in Zaragoza ...

# 1950–1978:

Ángel Hidalgo Ibáñez Angel is a given name meaning "angel", "wikt:messenger, messenger". In the English Language, English-speaking world Angel is used for both boys and girls. From the medieval Latin masculine name ''Angelus'', which was derived from the name of the ...

# 1978–1983: Juan Angel Belda Dardiñá # 1984–1989:

Rosendo Álvarez Gastón Rosendo Álvarez Gastón (August 10, 1926–February 3, 2014) was a Spanish Catholic bishop. Ordained to the priesthood in 1951, he was appointed bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaca, Diocese of Jaca, Spain, in 1985. In 1989, he becam ...

# 1990–2001: José María Conget Arizaleta #* 2001–2003: Juan José Omella Omella (Apostolic Administrator) # 2003–2010: Jesús Sanz Montes #* 2010–2011: Jesús Sanz Montes (Apostolic Administrator) # 2011–2023: Julián Ruiz Martorell #* 2024:

Vicente Jiménez Zamora Vicente Jiménez Zamora (born 28 January 1944) is a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church who has been the Archbishop of Zaragoza from 2014 to 2020. He was Bishop of Osma-Soria from 2004 to 2007 and Bishop of Santander from 2007 to 2014. Biog ...

(Apostolic Administrator)

Notes

* *

References

External links

* IBERCRONOX
Obispado de Jaca
an