Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Buenos Aires

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Buenos Aires (Archidioecesis Bonaerensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church based on the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. The Archbishop since 28 February 1998 is Jorge Bergoglio. Its mother church is the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral.

The territory of the Archdiocese has an area of 203 km² and a population of 2,729,610 (2005), of which around 2.5 million are Catholic, served by 182 parishes. It is divided into four zonal vicaries: Flores, Devoto, Belgrano and Centro, in turn subdivided into 20 deaconates.

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Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral

The Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral (Spanish: Catedral Metropolitana de Buenos Aires) is the main Catholic church in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is located in the city centre, overlooking Plaza de Mayo, on the corner of San Martín and Rivadavia streets, in the San Nicolás neighbourhood. It is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires.

The Cathedral of Buenos Aires was rebuilt several times since its humble origins in the 16th century. The present building is a mix of architectural styles, with a 18th century nave and dome and a severe, 19th century Neoclassical façade without towers. The interior keeps precious 18th century statues and altarpieces, as well as abundant Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque decoration.