The Roman Catholic Diocese of Comayagua is a Latin suffrage bishopric in the ecclesiastical province (covering all Honduras) of the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa. The present diocese, erected 13 March 1963, revives a larger colonial bishopric.
Its present cathedral episcopal see is the Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción, devoted to the Immaculate Concepcion, in Comayagua, which city also has the former cathedral: Iglesia de La Merced Iglesia de La Merced, devoted to Our Lady of Mercy.
In 1561, the first bishopric was established as Diocese of Comayagua, on territory split off from the then Roman Catholic Diocese of Trujillo (founded as diocese of Honduras), and in 1571 gained its mother bishopric's remaining territory at its suppression (Trujillo would however be restored in 1987).
Like many missionary dioceses, it had mainly regular priests as Ordinaries, who generally died in office or were transferred/promoted within the vast Spanish colonial empire.
On 1916.02.02 it was suppressed, its territory being divided to establish the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa (its Metropolitan still, in the national capital), the then Apostolic Vicariate of San Pedro Sula and the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Copán.
It was restored on 1963.03.13, as Diocese of Comayagua, on much smaller territory (7,527 km²) split off from its Metropolitan, the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa.
As per 2014, it has a population of 635,586 Catholics (93.3% of 681,546 total), pastorally served in 32 parishes by 56 priests (46 diocesan, 10 religious), 102 lay religious (33 brothers, 69 sisters) and 30 seminarians.
Suffragan Bishops of Comayagua (colonial diocese)
Jerónimo de Corella, Hieronymites (O.S.H.) (1561 – death 1575.07.31), former Bishop of mother see Trujillo (Honduras) (1556.06.12 – 1561)
Alfonso de la Cerda, Dominicans (O.P.) (1578.01.13 – 1587.11.06), later Bishop of La Plata (Bolivia) (1587.11.06 – death 1592.06.25)
Gaspar de Andrada, Friars Minor (O.F.M.) (1587.11.16 – death 1612)
Alfonso del Galdo, O.P. (1612.10.22 – death 1629)
Luis de Cañizares, O.F.M. (1629 – death 1645.07.24), previously Bishop of Nueva Caceres (Philippines) (1624.07.01 – 1628.06.19) and Coadjutor Bishop of Comayagua (1628.06.19 – 1629)
Juan Merlo de la Fuente (1650.05.30 – death 1665)
Martín de Espinosa Monzon (1672.09.12 – death 1676)
Alonso Vargas y Barca, Augustinians (O.E.S.A.) (1677.11.22 – death 1697)
Pedro de los Reyes Ríos de la Madrid, Benedictines (O.S.B.) (1699.04.11 – 1700.03.11), later Bishop of Yucatán (Mexico) (1700.03.11 – death 1714.01.06)
Juan Pérez Carpintero, Norbertines (O. Praem.) (1701.01.03 – death 1724.05.12)
Antonio López Portillo de Guadalupe, O.F.M. (1725.11.19 – death 1742.01.06)
Francisco de Molina, Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat (O.S.B.M.) (1743.03.11 – death 1749)
Diego Rodríguez de Rivas y Velasco (1750.11.16 – 1762.03.29), later Bishop of Guadalajara (Mexico) (1762.03.29 – death 1770.12.11)
Isidro Rodríguez Lorenzo, O.S.B.M. (1764.12.17 – 1767.12.14), later Metropolitan Archbishop of Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) (1767.12.14 – retired? 1788.09.12), died 1793
Antonio Macarulla Minguilla de Aguilain (1767.12.14 – 1772.12.14), later Bishop of Durango (Mexico) (1772.12.14 – death 1781.06.12)
Francisco José de Palencia (1773.03.15 – death 1775.11)
Francisco Antonio de San Miguel Iglesia Cajiga, O.S.H. (1777.02.17 – 1783.12.15), later Bishop of Michoacán (Mexico) (1783.12.15 – death 1804.06.18)
Father José Antonio de Isabela (1785.06.27 – death 1785.12), no other prelature
Fernando Cardiñanos, O.F.M. (1788.03.10 – death 1794.07)
Vicente Navas, O.P. (1795.06.01 – death 1809)
Francisco de Paula Campo y Pérez (1844.01.25 – death 1853)
Hipólito Casiano Flórez (1854.04.04 – death 1857.09.29)
Juan Félix de Jesús Zepeda, O.F.M. (1861.07.22 – death 1885.04.20), previously Titular Bishop of Arindela (1859.04.15 – 1861.07.22) as Auxiliary Bishop of Guatemala (Guatemala) (1859.04.15 – 1861.07.22)
Manuel Francisco Vélez (1887.05.23 – death 1901.03.26)
Jaime-Maria Martinez y Cabanas (1902.01.30 – 1916.02.02), later Metropolitan Archbishop of Tegucigalpa (Honduras) (1916.02.02 – death 1921.08.11)
see suppressed 1916-1963
Suffragan Bishops of Comayagua (modern diocese)
Bernardino N. Mazzarella, O.F.M. (1963.03.13 – death 1979.05.30), formerly Bishop-Prelate] of the Territorial Prelature of Inmaculada Concepción de la B.V.M. en Olancho (Honduras) (1954 – 1963.03.13) & Titular Bishop of Hadrianopolis in Pisidia (1957.07.20 – 1963.03.13)
Geraldo Scarpone Caporale, O.F.M. (1979.05.30 – emeritate 2004.05.21; died 2016), previously Coadjutor Bishop of Comayagua (1979.01.15 – 1979.05.30)
Robert Camilleri Azzopardi, O.F.M. (21 May 2004 - ... ), previously Titular Bishop of Vagada (2001.07.26 – 2004.05.21) & Auxiliary Bishop of Tegucigalpa (Honduras) (2001.07.26 – 2004.05.21)
