Diocese of Yopal

Diocese of Yopal Dioecesis Yopalensis
Location
Country	Colombia
Ecclesiastical province	Tunja
Statistics
Area	17,725 km2 (6,844 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2023) 487,000 410,000 (84.2%)
Parishes	35
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	29 October 1999 (1999-10-29)
Cathedral	Catedral San José
Secular priests	58 (50 Diocesan, 8 Religious Orders)
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Bishop	Jaime Uriel Sanabria Arias
Metropolitan Archbishop	Gabriel Ángel Villa Vahos
Map

Cathedral of St. Joseph

The Diocese of Yopal (Latin: Yopalensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Colombia. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Tunja.

Its cathedra is in the Catedral San José, dedicated to Saint Joseph, in the episcopal see of Yopal, Casanare Department.

History

• Established on 29 October 1999 as Diocese of Yopal, on reassigned territory split off (like the Apostolic Vicariate of Trinidad) from the suppressed Apostolic Vicariate of Casanare.

Statistics

As of 2023, it pastorally served 410,000 Catholics (84.2% of 487,000 total) on 17,725 km² in 35 parishes with 58 priests (50 diocesan, 8 religious), 10 deacons and 21 lay religious (15 brothers, 6 sisters).

Episcopal ordinaries

Bishops of Yopal

• • Apostolic Administrator Olavio López Duque, O.A.R. (1999.10.29 – 2001.09.01), Vicar Apostolic Emeritus of Casanare
• Misael Vacca Ramírez (2001.04.24 – 2015.04.15), appointed Bishop of Duitama–Sogamoso
• Edgar Aristizábal Quintero (2017.05.04 – 2024.05.24), appointed Bishop of Duitama–Sogamoso
• Jaime Uriel Sanabria Arias (2026.06.29 – Present)

See also

• List of Catholic dioceses in Colombia
• Roman Catholicism in Colombia

Sources and external links

• GCatholic.org - data for all sections