JAÉN, Diocese of. – A suffragan see of the metropolitan of Granada in Spain, situated within the civil province of the same name, with the exception of a southeastern portion. The diocese covers an area of 13,000 km² and has a population of 780,000, all Catholic, distributed across 158 parishes served by 210 diocesan priests and 50 religious priests, one seminary, 10 male religious communities, and 65 female religious communities (1949).
JAÉN, Diocese of. – Church of St. Nicholas of Úbeda. Chapel of the dean, Don Ferrando Ortega Salido. Portal by André de Valdelavira (16th century).
It was founded in 1248; however, since the see was transferred from Baeza that year, and this latter see had, since 675, succeeded the destroyed see of Castulo, which in turn, in 298, had succeeded the ancient Liturgia (Andújar), as is believed in Spain, it is claimed to derive from apostolic times, specifically from St. Euphrasius, who is the patron saint of the diocese. The city of Baeza had been razed during the invasion of the Almohad Muslims, but it was reconquered by St. Ferdinand in 1227, an event that immediately led to the restoration of the episcopal see. Nevertheless, the same saintly king, having conquered and expelled the Moors from Jaén in 1246, obtained from Pope Innocent IV that the bishop be transferred from Baeza to the new city; however, the faithful of Baeza petitioned the same Pope to preserve their diocese, albeit united with that of Jaén, and so it was done. To this day, therefore, the bishop of Jaén has two cathedrals with two chapters and two seminaries: the major seminary in Jaén (for theology and philosophy) and the minor in Baeza (for Latin and humanities). The cathedral of Jaén was rebuilt in 1540 and belongs to the so-called Granadan style, with a Latin cross and three naves. During the Marxist revolution, 150 priests of this diocese were killed.
Among the bishops worthy of mention are St. Peter Pascual (13th century) and Cardinals Merino, Sandoval, and Pacheco, the latter renowned for his role in the first period of the Council of Trent.