Diocese of Rancagua

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rancagua (in Latin: Dioecesis Rancaguensis) is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Santiago de Chile. The diocese was established on 18 October 1925 as Diócesis de Santa Cruz de Rancagua, by Pope Pius XII by means of the papal bull Apostolici muneris ratio.

Diocese of Rancagua Dioecesis Rancaguensis Diócesis de Rancagua
The Cathedral of Rancagua
Location
Country	Chile
Ecclesiastical province	Santiago de Chile
Metropolitan	Santiago de Chile
Statistics
Area	16,042 km2 (6,194 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2010) 869,000 699,000 (80.4%)
Parishes	64
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	18 October 1925 (99 years ago)
Cathedral	Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Rancagua
Patron saint	Holy Cross
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Bishop	Guillermo Patricio Vera Soto
Metropolitan Archbishop	Celestino Aós Braco, OFM Cap
Bishops emeritus	Alejandro Goić Karmelić
Website
Website of the Diocese

The diocese is headed by Guillermo Patricio Vera Soto, who was named Bishop by Pope Francis on 8 June 2021.

Diocesan statistics

The diocese comprises the three provinces of the O'Higgins Region of Chile: Cachapoal, Colchagua and Cardenal Caro, with the exception of the comuna of Navidad, of the latter province, which belongs to the diocese of Melipilla. It covers a territory of 16,042 km² (6,194 sq mi) and has 63 parishes. It is estimated that 80 percent of the population of the diocese is Catholic. This figure represents about 625,000 Catholics out of a total population of 781,000 persons.

The diocesan cathedral is located in the city of Rancagua.

Bishops

Bishops of Rancagua

Name	Reign began	Reign ended	Notes
Rafael Lira Infante †	14 December 1925	18 March 1938	Appointed bishop of Valparaíso
Eduardo Larraín Cordovez †	9 July 1938	2 February 1970	Retired
Alejandro Durán Moreira †	2 February 1970	30 May 1986	Retired
Jorge Medina Estévez	25 November 1987	16 April 1993	Appointed bishop of Valparaíso; future Cardinal (Protodeacon, 2005-2007)
Francisco Javier Prado Aránguiz, SS.CC. †	16 April 1993	23 April 2004	Retired
Alejandro Goić Karmelić	23 April 2004	28 June 2018	Translated from Osorno
Guillermo Patricio Vera Soto	8 June 2021	present	Translated from Iquique

Coadjutor bishop

• Alejandro Goić Karmelić (2003–2004)

Auxiliary bishops

• Raul Silva Silva (1963–1994)
• Jorge Arturo Augustin Medina Estévez (1984–1987), appointed Bishop here; future Cardinal
• Luis Gleisner Wobbe (1991–2001), appointed Auxiliary Bishop of La Serena

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

• Francisco de Borja Valenzuela Ríos, appointed Apostolic Administrator of Copiapó in 1955; appointed Prelate of Copiapó in 1956
• Orozimbo Fuenzalida y Fuenzalida, appointed Prelate of Calama in 1968
• Miguel Caviedes Medina, appointed Bishop of Osorno in 1982

External links

• Website of the diocese (in Spanish)
• Diocese of Rancagua at Catholic-Hierarchy.org