Military Ordinariate of El Salvador

Military Bishopric in El Salvador Obispado Castrense en El Salvador
Location
Country	El Salvador
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	25 March 1968 (56 years ago)
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Fabio Reynaldo Colindres Abarca

The Military Bishopric in El Salvador (Spanish: Obispado Castrense en El Salvador) is a military ordinariate of the Roman Catholic Church. Immediately subject to the Holy See, it provides pastoral care to Roman Catholics serving in the Armed Forces of El Salvador and their families.

History

It was established as a military vicariate on 25 March 1968, with the first military vicar appointment on 4 November 1968. It was elevated to a military ordinariate on 21 July 1986.

According to an online news brief from Catholic News Service (CNS) posted on Tuesday, September 11, 2012, Bishop Abarca and former guerrilla commander Raul Mijango have mediated an often-doubted but so far successful cease-fire between El Salvador's two most prominently violent gangs: MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha), and Barrio 18, which had roots in civil war-era young Salvadorans who illegally entered the U.S. and experienced the gangs there before deportation.

Office holders

Military vicars

• José Eduardo Alvarez Ramírez, C.M. (appointed 4 November 1968 – became military ordinary 21 July 1986)

Military ordinaries

• José Eduardo Alvarez Ramírez, C.M. (appointed 21 July 1986 – resigned 7 March 1987)
• Roberto Joaquín Ramos Umaña (appointed 7 March 1987 – died 23 June 1993)
• Fabio Reynaldo Colindres Abarca (incumbent, appointed 2 February 2008)

References

• Military Ordinariate of El Salvador (Catholic-Hierarchy)
• Obispado Castrense en El Salvador (GCatholic.org)