Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Buenos Aires (Agenzia Fides) - February 11 2007 is an important date in Argentina because 12 dioceses will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of foundation. On 11 February 1957 Pope Pius XII with the Bull "Quandoquidem adoranda", created 12 new dioceses in Argentina and elevated two dioceses to the rank of archdiocese: Tucumán and Bahia Blanca. The Holy See announcement read as follows "the Holy Father has increased the number of ecclesiastical jurisdictions in consideration of Argentina’s remarkable civil and religious development and population growth, in order to guarantee Argentinean Catholics adequate spiritual assistance". The new dioceses were created at a difficult time for Argentina: in 1954 and 1955 there had been cruel persecution against the Church and many bishops, priests and prominent lay Catholics were put in prison and the Residence of the Archbishop of Buenos Aires and many historical church buildings were set on fire.
Before the creation of the new dioceses Argentina had 23 ecclesiastic circumscriptions, (7 archdioceses and 16 dioceses). The new dioceses brought the number to 35 ecclesiastic circumscriptions including 9 archdioceses.
The dioceses preparing to celebrate are the following: San Isidro, Morón, Lomas de Zamora, Mar del Plata y Nueve de Julio, Buenos Aires province; Santa Rosa de Toay (today Santa Rosa) a La Pampa; Gualeguaychú in Entre Ríos; Riconquista in Santa Fe; Posadas in Misiones; Formosa; Villa María in Córdoba; Comodoro Rivadavia in Chubut. Many dioceses have organised a whole year of initiatives to celebrate the important anniversary. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 1/2/2007; righe 20, parole 273)
