SAN CRISTÓBAL DE LA LAGUNA, DIOCESE OF. - A modern diocese in the Canary Islands, called "Nivariensis" and commonly of Tenerife from the name of the largest island of the archipelago.
It has an area of 3,499 sq. km. with a population of 443,851 inhabitants, of whom 399,056 are Catholics distributed in 117 parishes, served by 111 diocesan priests and 60 regulars; it has a seminary, 14 male religious communities and 41 female ones (Ann. Pont., 1952, p. 340). The episcopal residence is in San Cristóbal de La Laguna.
From 1406 the territory of the diocese formed part of that of the Canaries (v.), but at the beginning of the 19th century it was divided into two, in 1819, by a bull of Pius VII (in agreement with the government of Ferdinand VII of Spain), which subjected to the new see the Islands of Tenerife, Gomera, Hierro and La Palma, declaring it a suffragan of Seville. However, in the early years it had no bishops, being instead governed by capitular vicars, of whom there were three until 1805; then its first prelate, Luigi Falgueras, went there, but after this prelate it again received only capitular vicars and then was governed by the bishops of the Canaries with the title of apostolic administrators. The episcopal see was suppressed in 1851 by virtue of the Concordat signed in that year between Pius IX and the government of Queen Isabella II, and was re-established in 1877, so that down to the present 8 bishops have governed it. The patrons of the diocese are Our Lady of the Purification and St. Christopher. Feasts on 2 February and 27 July. When the diocese was erected, in 1819, the parish of Our Lady of Remedies was elevated to the honor of cathedral church, which, however, upon the suppression of the see held the title of collegiate church, but in 1878 it again received the rank of cathedral by a bull of Pius IX. Since the original temple threatened to collapse, it was completely rebuilt in reinforced concrete, and opened for worship in 1913. It has three naves and is dedicated, like the old one, to Our Lady of Remedies. Wishing to found the Seminary, the bishop
Alfonso Infante Macias in 1877 made use of the old Dominican convent, ceded by the State to the episcopal mensa, which has been the object of subsequent and notable improvements.