Countering the trend of diocesan consolidations in Italy, Canada, Alaska, and elsewhere, Pope Francis has split an Argentine diocese into two.
As he accepted the resignation of Bishop Joaquín Gimeno Lahoz of Comodoro Rivadavia for reasons of age, the Pope created the Diocese of Rawson from Comodoro Rivadavia’s territory.
The former Diocese of Comodoro Rivadavia was about the size of Iowa and had 28 parishes. The new Diocese of Rawson will have 11 parishes, 15 priests, and one seminarian. The reduced Diocese of Comodoro Rivadavia will have 17 parishes, 19 priests, and one seminarian.