The Most Famous
RELIGIOUS FIGURES from Chile
This page contains a list of the greatest Chilean Religious Figures. The pantheon dataset contains 2,238 Religious Figures, 6 of which were born in Chile. This makes Chile the birth place of the 50th most number of Religious Figures behind Nepal and Montenegro.
Top 6
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Chilean Religious Figures of all time. This list of famous Chilean Religious Figures is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Jorge Medina (1926 - 2021)
With an HPI of 59.33, Jorge Medina is the most famous Chilean Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 23 different languages on wikipedia.
Jorge Arturo Agustín Medina Estévez (Spanish: [ˈxoɾxe meˈðina]; 23 December 1926 – 3 October 2021) was a Chilean prelate of the Catholic Church who held senior positions both in his native country and in the Roman Curia. He was prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 1996 to 2002 and was made a cardinal in 1998. Beginning in 1985 he served as auxiliary bishop and then from 1987 bishop of Rancagua and then bishop of Valparaíso from 1993 to 1996. As Cardinal Protodeacon, the longest serving cardinal of the order of cardinal deacons, he announced the election of Pope Benedict XVI to the world on 19 April 2005.
2. Laura Vicuña (1891 - 1904)
With an HPI of 55.73, Laura Vicuña is the 2nd most famous Chilean Religious Figure. Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Laura del Carmen Vicuña Pino (5 April, 1891 – 22 January, 1904) was a Chilean child who was noted for her religious devotion. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1988 as the patron of abuse victims, having herself experienced physical abuse.
3. Teresa of the Andes (1900 - 1920)
With an HPI of 52.40, Teresa of the Andes is the 3rd most famous Chilean Religious Figure. Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Teresa of Jesus of Los Andes (13 July 1900 – 12 April 1920), born as Juana Enriqueta Josephina de Los Sagrados Corazones Fernández Solar, (Spanish: Teresa de Jesús de Los Andes) was a Chilean nun of the Discalced Carmelites. Fernández Solar was a pious child but had an often unpredictable temperament for she could be prone to anger and being vain but could also demonstrate her charitable and loving nature; she seemed transformed when she decided to become a nun and her character seemed to change for her sole ambition was to dedicate herself to the service of God. But her time in the convent was cut short due to her contracting an aggressive disease that killed her - she knew she would die but was consoled knowing she would be able to make her profession before she died. Her canonization process opened on 23 April 1976 under Pope Paul VI and she became titled as a Servant of God. The confirmation of her life of heroic virtue on 22 March 1986 allowed for her to be titled as Venerable. Solar was beatified on 3 April 1987 in Chile after a miracle attributed to her from her native land cleared her for beatification while another miracle coming from Chile led Pope John Paul II to canonize her as a saint on 21 March 1993 in Saint Peter's Square.
4. Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa (1933 - )
With an HPI of 50.93, Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa is the 4th most famous Chilean Religious Figure. Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa (Spanish pronunciation: [fɾanˈsisko xaˈβjeɾ eˈrasuɾis ˈosa]; born 5 September 1933) is a Chilean prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Santiago from 1998 to 2010. He has been a cardinal since 2001 and was a member of Pope Francis' Council of Cardinal Advisers from its creation in 2013 until his departure in 2018.
5. José María Caro Rodríguez (1866 - 1958)
With an HPI of 45.49, José María Caro Rodríguez is the 5th most famous Chilean Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
José María Caro Rodríguez (June 23, 1866 – December 4, 1958) was a Chilean Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Santiago from 1939 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1946 by Pope Pius XII.
6. Raúl Silva Henríquez (1907 - 1999)
With an HPI of 45.40, Raúl Silva Henríquez is the 6th most famous Chilean Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Raúl Silva Henríquez SDB (27 September 1907 – 9 April 1999) was a Chilean prelate of the Catholic Church, a cardinal from 1962. He served as Archbishop of Santiago de Chile from 1961 to 1983 and as Bishop of Valparaíso from 1959 to 1961. Both as Archbishop and in retirement, he was an advocate for social justice and democracy and a forthright vocal critic of the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet—"a constant thorn in the Government's side".
Pantheon has 6 people classified as religious figures born between 1866 and 1933. Of these 6, 1 (16.67%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living religious figures include Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa. The most famous deceased religious figures include Jorge Medina, Laura Vicuña, and Teresa of the Andes. As of April 2022, 3 new religious figures have been added to Pantheon including Laura Vicuña, Teresa of the Andes, and José María Caro Rodríguez.
Living Religious Figures
Go to all RankingsDeceased Religious Figures
Go to all Rankings
Jorge Medina
1926 - 2021
HPI: 59.33
Laura Vicuña
1891 - 1904
HPI: 55.73
Teresa of the Andes
1900 - 1920
HPI: 52.40
José María Caro Rodríguez
1866 - 1958
HPI: 45.49
Raúl Silva Henríquez
1907 - 1999
HPI: 45.40
Newly Added Religious Figures (2022)
Go to all RankingsLaura Vicuña
1891 - 1904
HPI: 55.73
Teresa of the Andes
1900 - 1920
HPI: 52.40
José María Caro Rodríguez
1866 - 1958
HPI: 45.49
Which Religious Figures were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 5 most globally memorable Religious Figures since 1700.
