Diocese of Zacapa y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas
diocese of the Catholic Church in Guatemala
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Zacapa (y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas) is a Latin suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the Archdiocese of Guatemala.
Its cathedral episcopal see is catedral San Pedro (dedicated to saint Peter), in Zacapa. It also had a virtual Co-cathedral, Basílica del Cristo Negro de Esquipulas, which is officially still the cathedral of the Territorial Prelature of Santo Cristo de Esquipulas.
History
It was erected 10 March 1951, as the Diocese of Zacapa, on territory split off from the Archdiocese of Guatemala (still its Metropolitan].
On 16 September 1956, it lost territory to establish the Territorial Prelature of Santo Cristo de Esquipulas, and again on 30 April 1968 to establish the then Apostolic Administration of Izabal.
It was (re)united aeque principaliter (in permanent personal union) with the Territorial Prelature of Santo Cristo de Esquipulas on 24 June 1986 and since assumed the name Diocese of Zacapa y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas.
It enjoyed a papal visit from Pope John Paul II in February 1996.
Bishops
Episcopal ordinaries
Apostolic Administrator Miguel Ángel García y Aráuz (1951 – 1955.11.30), while first Bishop of Jalapa (Guatemala) (1951.04.11 – 1987.01.29); previously Titular Bishop of Sophene (1944.05.16 – 1951.04.11) & Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Guatemala (1944.05.16 – 1951.04.11)
Costantino Cristiano Luna Pianegonda, Friars Minor (O.F.M.) (1955.11.30 – 1980.02.16)
Rodolfo Quezada Toruño (1980.02.16 – 2001.06.19), succeeding as former Coadjutor Bishop of Zacapa (1975.09.11 – 1980.02.16); also Bishop-Prelate of the Territorial Prelature of Santo Cristo de Esquipulas (1986.06.24 – 2001.06.19), President of Episcopal Conference of Guatemala (1988–1992); previously Titular Bishop of Gadiaufala (1972.04.05 – 1975.09.11) & Auxiliary Bishop of Zacapa (1972.04.05 – 1975.09.11); later Metropolitan Archbishop of Guatemala (2001.06.19 – 2010.10.02), President of Episcopal Conference of Guatemala (2002–2006), Cardinal-Priest of S. Saturnino (2003.10.21 [2004.03.13] – 2012.06.04)
José Aníbal Casasola Sosa (2004.05.13 – 2007.04.27), also Bishop-Prelate of Santo Cristo de Esquipulas (Guatemala) (2004.05.13 – 2007.04.27)
Rosolino Bianchetti Boffelli (2008.11.20 – 2012.09.14), also Bishop-Prelate of Santo Cristo de Esquipulas (Guatemala) (2008.11.20 – 2012.09.14); later Bishop of Quiché (Guatemala) (2012.09.14 – ...)
Vacant see (sede vacante): 2012–2016
Ángel Antonio Recinos Lemus (2016.02.22 – present); until then Subcoordinator of COPADENA for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jalapa and Pastor of the "Nuestra Señora de Lourdes" (Our Lady of Lourdes) Parish, in El Progreso Achuapa, Jutiapa
Coadjutor bishop
Rodolfo Quezada Toruño (1975-1980); future Cardinal
Auxiliary bishop
Rodolfo Quezada Toruño (1972-1975), appointed Coadjutor here; future Cardinal
Other priest of this diocese who became bishop
Domingo Buezo Leiva, appointed Vicar Apostolic of Izabal in 2013
External links and references
"Diocese of Zacapa y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
“Diocese of Zacapa y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas” enters the record as diocese of the Catholic Church in Guatemala. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Diocese, Zacapa and Santo can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Diocese of Zacapa y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Diocese, Zacapa and Santo provides the most credible route into that argument.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 28, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q878299. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1951, 1956, 1968 and 1986.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Diocese of Zacapa y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Diocese of Zacapa y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas primary sources, Diocese of Zacapa y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas archive and Diocese research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Diocese of Zacapa y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Diocese of Zacapa y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.