Pope Francis grants Santiago del Estero the honorary title of primatial see of Argentina

ANDPope Francis on Monday granted the city of Santiago del Estero the honorary title of primatial seat of Argentinawhich since 1936

He had Buenos Aires by decision of Pius XI, and appointed Monsignor Vicente Bokalic Iglic as the first archbishop of the new archdiocese, under the title of Primate of Argentina.

“The Holy Father, making an important reparation in the ecclesiastical history of our country, has decided to transfer the Primate See of the Argentine Republic to Santiago del Estero, a title of honor that Buenos Aires has held since 1936 until today.”reported a joint statement from the bishops of Buenos Aires and Santiago del Estero, Jorge García Cuerva and Bokalic Iglic, respectively.

According to the statement, this is about “an honorary badge”reserved for the first diocese in a national territory that “it does not entail any jurisdictional change” in the Argentine ecclesiastical organization.

According to the statement, this is about “an honorary badge” reserved for the first diocese in a national territory that “does not entail any jurisdictional change” in the Argentine ecclesiastical organization.

The papal bull ordering the transfer of the primate seat – the first episcopal seat in the Argentine territory in its current configuration – will be executed in Buenos Aires on Sunday, August 25 and in Santiago del Estero on Saturday, September 7.

The papal decision has a historical basis, since in 1570 Saint Pius V created the then diocese of Tucumán, with headquarters in what is now the old city ​​of Santiago del Esterofollowing the fact that in 1563, by order of the King of Spain, the former Tucumán was separated from the jurisdiction of Chili and becomes dependent on the Charcas Court.

Santiago del Estero became the first diocese of what would later become the territory of Argentina.

The Cathedral of Santiago del Estero dates back to 1565, in an unspecified location in the city, having been erected by papal bull of Pope Pius V in 1570, under the patronage of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and The arrival of Fray Francisco de Victoria in 1581 gave rise to the first cathedral not only for Santiago del Estero but for the future Argentina. But it was built at least five times.

In 1699, the episcopal seat of the city of Córdoba subsumed the territory of the primitive diocese of Tucumán.

In 1907, the current diocese of Santiago del Estero was created, in whose territory the ancient and first episcopal seat of Tucumán had operated.

In 1936, Pius XI elevated Buenos Aires to the status of primatial see, despite the fact that the custom is not to declare the first archbishopric but rather the first diocese in Argentine territory, that is, Santiago del Estero.

According to the statement, Santiago del Estero, which for centuries bore the title of ‘Mother of Cities’, it is also ‘Mother of Dioceses’, having been chosen as the centre for the dissemination of the Gospel. EFE