Roman Catholic Diocese of Zamboanga
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Archdiocese of Zamboanga Archdiocesis Zamboangensis Arquidiocesis de Zamboanga (Chavacano) Arkidiyosesis ng Zamboanga (Filipino) |
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| Location | |
| Country |  Philippines |
| Territory | Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi |
| Metropolitan | Zamboanga City |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 1,638 km2 (632 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2010) 735,000 570,000 (77.6%) |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | April 10, 1910 (as diocese) |
| Cathedral | Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral |
| Patron saint | Nuestra Seňora del Pilar |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Romulo T. Dela Cruz |
| Suffragans | Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo/Diocese of Jolo Diocese of Ipil Territorial Prelature of Isabela |
| Emeritus Bishops | Carmelo Dominador Flores Morelos Archbishop Emeritus (1994-2006) |
| Map | |
 Jurisdiction of the metropolitan see within the Philippines. |
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| Website | |
| Website of the Archdiocese | |
The Archdiocese of Zamboanga (Latin name: Archdiocesis Zamboangensis) is a Catholic archdiocese in the Philippines. Its present jurisdiction includes Zamboanga City, with suffragans in Basilan (Territorial Prelature of Isabela, Basilan), Sulu Archipelago (Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo/Diocese of Jolo) and Zamboanga Sibugay (Diocese of Ipil). It became Mindanao's first diocese in 1910, and was established as the second archdiocese of Mindanao in 1958. Today the archdiocese covers a land area of 1,648 square kilometers and has a population of 442,345, of which 81 per cent are Catholics. The archdiocese includes 26 parishes, served by 49 diocesan and 18 religious priests. There are also 51 religious sisters working in the archdiocese.
From 1607 to 1910 the entire island of Mindanao was under the Diocese of Cebu and Jaro. On April 10, 1910, Pope Pius X created the Diocese of Zamboanga and gave it jurisdiction over the whole island of Mindanao, including the adjacent islands of the Sulu Archipelago and the island of Cagayan de Sulu.
The Catholic faith was brought to Zamboanga by Jesuit missionaries Melchor de Vera and Alejandro Lopez in 1635. The efforts of the Spanish authorities to subdue the Muslims resulted in reprisal raids in Zamboanga and the Visayan Islands. In 1636 Fort Pilar, in honor of Our Lady of the Pillar, was constructed by priest-engineer Fr. de Vera. Jesuit Frs. Francesco Palliola and Alejandro Lopez died as martyrs in their efforts to win the tribespeople through diplomacy. The establishment of Fort Pilar gave birth to the future city of Zamboanga.
On January 20, 1933, Pope Pius XI divided Mindanao into two areas. Southern Mindanao including the Sulu Archipelago became under the jurisdiction of Zamboanga. Northern Mindanao became under the Diocese of Cagayan de Oro. In 1951 Cagayan de Oro became an archdiocese, the first in the island of Mindanao. All episcopal jurisdictions in Mindanao and Sulu, including Zamboanga, became suffragans of this archdiocese.
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