Pope Francis has made the “historic decision” to transfer Argentina’s primatial see to Santiago del Estero, which since 1936 had been granted to the archdiocese of Buenos Aires. Thus, Monsignor Vicente Bokalic Iglic, Bishop of the Santiago del Estero, will be the first Archbishop.
The measure was communicated through a document signed jointly by Monsignor Bokalic Iglic and Monsignor Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, highlighting that the Supreme Pontiff had “redressed a major grievance in ecclesiastic history”.
“The papal decision has its historical basis on the fact that in 1570 Saint Pius V created the then called Diocese of Tucumán, with its seat in what today is the old city of Santiago del Estero”, they explained in the release.
“Firstly, we believe it is an honorific distinction, reserved for the first diocese in a national territory, which does not carry any jurisdictional change in Argentine ecclesiastic organisation”, they clarified.
Primates’ prerogatives usually differ from one region to another. Primates can be honorific titles, by order and jurisdiction, the first category being a right to the first post without any jurisdiction being superior to the rest, and typically granted to one of the oldest archdioceses of the country.
“Santiago del Estero for centuries coined the glorious title of ‘Mother of Cities’, and was chosen as the centre to spread the Gospels, and is also the ‘Mother of Dioceses’ in Argentina; therefore there are myriad reasons to honour it as the Primatial See”, they added in the document.
Regarding the historic decision, they specified that in 1563, by order of the King of Spain, old Tucumán was separated from the jurisdiction of Chile and went on to depend on the Audience of Charcas. “The Cathedral of this first Diocese, of what would later become the Argentine Republic, was the Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul located in the territory of today’s Diocese of Santiago del Estero”, they pointed out.
In 1907, the current Diocese of Santiago del Estero was created, where the old and first Episcopal See of Tucumán had operated. Subsequently, in 1936, Buenos Aires was elevated by Pius XI to Primatial See as it was the first Archbishopric, albeit not the first of the Dioceses in the Argentine territory.
Thus, both bishops invited people “to experience this papal decision with the deep joy of living in the truth, which always sets us free, and also as an invite to have an integrating look into the national terrtory in a renewed federal purpose, even from the ecclesiastic structure”.
Pope Francis’ orders
– To transfer the title of Primatial See of Argentina from the Metropolitan See of Buenos Aires to the See of Santiago del Estero and, according to canon 438 of the Code of Canon Law, to grant the title of bishop pro tempore to the one from the same See of Santiago del Estero;
– To elevate the Diocesan See of Santiago del Estero to the degree and distinction of Archiepiscopal See, remaining as suffragan to the Metropolitan See of Tucumán;
– Consequently, to repeal the Decree of the Sacred Congregation Concistorial Cum Ecclesiastica Provintia Bonaerensis of January 29, 1936, which granted the Archbishop pro tempore of Buenos Aires the title of Primate in Argentina.
– TIMES/PERFIL
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