RELIGIOUS FIGURES from Colombia

Top 5

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Colombian Religious Figures of all time. This list of famous Colombian Religious Figures is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Laura Montoya (1874 - 1949)

With an HPI of 55.32, Laura Montoya is the most famous Colombian Religious Figure.  Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages on wikipedia.

Laura Montoya, in full María Laura de Jesús Montoya Upegui (26 May 1874 – 21 October 1949), religious name Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena, was a Colombian Roman Catholic religious sister and the founder of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Virgin Mary and Saint Catherine of Siena (1914). She was well known for her work with Indigenous peoples and for acting as a strong role model for South American girls. Pope John Paul II beatified her in 2004 and Pope Francis canonized her as a saint on 12 May 2013. Montoya is the first Colombian to be made a saint.

2. Darío Castrillón Hoyos (1929 - 2018)

With an HPI of 54.14, Darío Castrillón Hoyos is the 2nd most famous Colombian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Darío del Niño Jesús Castrillón Hoyos (4 July 1929 – 18 May 2018) was a Colombian cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy from 1996 to 2006 and President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei from 2000 until his retirement in 2009. He was made a cardinal in 1998.

3. José de Jesús Pimiento Rodríguez (1919 - 2019)

With an HPI of 53.03, José de Jesús Pimiento Rodríguez is the 3rd most famous Colombian Religious Figure.  Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

José de Jesús Horacio Pimiento Rodríguez (Spanish pronunciation: [xoˈse ðe xeˈsus piˈmjento roˈðɾiɣes]; 18 February 1919 – 3 September 2019) was a Colombian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Bishop of Montería from 1959 to 1964, Bishop of Garzón-Neiva from 1964 to 1975, and finally Archbishop of Manizales from 1975 to 1996. He was created a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2015.

4. Rubén Salazar Gómez (b. 1942)

With an HPI of 49.44, Rubén Salazar Gómez is the 4th most famous Colombian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Jesús Rubén Darío Salazar Gómez (Spanish pronunciation: [ruˈβen salaˈsaɾ ˈɣomes]; born 22 September 1942) is a Colombian prelate of the Catholic Church who was Metropolitan Archbishop of Bogotá from 2010 to 2020. He was made a cardinal in 2012. He was Metropolitan Archbishop of Barranquilla from 1999 to 2010.

5. Pedro Rubiano Sáenz (1932 - 2024)

With an HPI of 48.07, Pedro Rubiano Sáenz is the 5th most famous Colombian Religious Figure.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Pedro Rubiano Sáenz (Spanish: [ˈpeðɾo ru'βjano 'saens]; 13 September 1932 – 15 April 2024) was a Colombian prelate of the Catholic Church who was Archbishop of Bogotá from 1995 to 2010. He was Bishop of Cúcuta from 1972 to 1983, and Archbishop of Cali from 1985 to 1994 after two years as coadjutor there. Pope John Paul II made him a cardinal in 2001.