# Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Concepción

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Concepción (Latin: Sanctissimae Conceptionis) is an archdiocese located in the city of Concepción in Chile.

## History

* 22 March 1563: Established as Diocese of La Imperial from the Diocese of Santiago de Chile
* 1603: Renamed as Diocese of Concepción
* 20 May 1939: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Concepción

## Ordinaries
### Bishops of La Imperial

* Antonio Avendaño y Paz, OFM (22 Mar 1564 – 9 Mar 1588 Appointed, Bishop of Quito)
* Agustín de Cisneros Montesa (9 Mar 1589 – 1596 Died)
* Reginaldo de Lizárraga, OP (31 Aug 1598 – 20 Jul 1609 Appointed, Bishop of Paraguay)

### Bishops of Concepción

* Carlos Marcelo Corni Velazquez (18 Oct 1618 – 17 Aug 1620 Appointed, Bishop of Trujillo)
* Luis Jerónimo Oré, OFM (17 Aug 1620 – 30 Jan 1630 Died)
* Diego de Zambrana de Villalobos y Cordero (14 Mar 1633 – 12 Dec 1652 Died)
* Dionisio de Cimbrón, OCist (23 Jun 1653 – 19 Sep 1661 Died)
* Francisco de Loyola y Vergara, OSA (15 Jul 1669 – Nov 1677 Died)
* Antonio de Morales, OP (25 May 1682 – Dec 1683 Died)
* Luis de Lemos y Usategui, OSA (16 Sep 1686 – 27 Nov 1692 Resigned)
* Martín de Híjar y Mendoza, OSA (13 Apr 1693 – 15 May 1704 Died)
* Diego Montero del Aguila (3 Oct 1708 – 21 Jan 1715 Appointed, Bishop of Trujillo)
* Juan de Necolalde (1 Apr 1715 – 12 May 1723 Appointed, Archbishop of La Plata o Charcas)
* Juan Francisco Antonio de Escandón, CR (12 May 1723 – 18 Jun 1731 Appointed, Archbishop of Lima)
* Salvador Bermúdez y Becerra (18 Jun 1731 – 28 Feb 1734 Confirmed, Bishop of La Paz)
* Andrés Paredes Polanco y Armendáriz (28 Feb 1734- 28 Feb 1735, became Bishop of Quito)
* Pedro Felipe de Azúa e Iturgoyen (28 Feb 1735 – 18 Dec 1744 Confirmed, Archbishop of Santafé en Nueva Granada)
* José de Toro y Zambrano (18 Dec 1744 – 1 May 1760 Died)
* Pedro Ángel de Espiñeira, OFM (23 Nov 1761 – 9 Feb 1778 Died)
* Francisco José Marán (1 Mar 1779 – 12 Sep 1794 Appointed, Bishop of Santiago de Chile)
* Tomás de Roa y Alarcón (12 Sep 1794 – 5 Sep 1805 Died)
* Diego Antonio Navarro Martín de Villodras (26 Aug 1806 – 16 Mar 1818 Confirmed, Archbishop of La Plata o Charcas)
* José Ignacio Cienfuegos Arteaga (17 Dec 1832 – 27 Apr 1840 Retired)
* Diego Antonio Elizondo y Prado (27 Apr 1840 – 5 Oct 1852 Died)
* José Hipólito Salas y Toro (23 Jun 1854 – 20 Jul 1883 Died)
* Fernando Blaitt Mariño (17 Dec 1886 – 14 Jul 1887 Died)
* Plácido Labarca Olivares (26 Jun 1890 – 9 Oct 1905 Died)
* Luis Enrique Izquierdo Vargas (29 Jan 1906 – 7 Aug 1917 Died)
* Gilberto Fuenzalida Guzmán (20 Feb 1918 – 24 Mar 1938 Died)

### Archbishops of Concepción

* Alfredo Silva Santiago (4 February 1939 – 27 April 1963 Resigned)
* Manuel Sánchez Beguiristáin (25 June 1963 – 3 May 1983 Retired)
* José Manuel Santos Ascarza, OCD (3 May 1983 – 29 July 1988 Resigned)
* Antonio Moreno Casamitjana (14 October 1989 – 27 December 2006 Retired)
* Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, SDB (27 December 2006 – 15 December 2010 Appointed, Archbishop of Santiago de Chile; Cardinal in 2014)
* Fernando Chomalí Garib (20 April 2011 Appointed – 25 October 2023)
* Sergio Hernán Pérez de Arce Arraigada, SS.CC.(16 May 2024 - ...)

## Other affiliated bishops
### Coadjutor archbishop

* Arturo Mery Beckdorf (1955–1963), did not succeed to see; appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of La Serena

### Auxiliary bishops

* Pedro Felipe de Azúa e Iturgoyen (1735–1742), appointed Bishop here
* Carlos Oviedo Cavada, OdeM (1964–1974), appointed Archbishop of Antofagasta; future Cardinal
* Sergio Otoniel Contreras Navia (1974–1977), appointed Bishop of Temuco
* Alejandro Goić Karmelić (1979–1991), appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Talca
* Pedro Felipe Bacarreza Rodríguez (1991–2006), appointed Bishop of Los Angeles
* Tomislav Koljatic Maroevic (1997–2003), appointed Bishop of Linares
* Pedro Mario Ossandón Buljevic (2008–2011), appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Santiago de Chile

### Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

* Alonso del Pozo y Silva, appointed Bishop of Córdoba (Tucumán), Argentina in 1713
* José Antonio Humeres y Miranda, appointed Bishop of Panamá in 1777
* Andrés Quintian Ponte de Andrade, appointed Bishop of Cuenca, Ecuador in 1805
* Ricardo Sepúlveda Hermosilla, appointed Vicar General of Temuco in 1908 (titular bishop in 1911)
* Reinaldo Muñoz Olave, appointed Vicar General of Chillán (and titular bishop) in 1916

## Suffragan dioceses

* San Bartolomé de Chillán
* Santa Maria de Los Ángeles
* Temuco
* Valdivia
* Villarrica