The Most Famous
RELIGIOUS FIGURES from Venezuela
This page contains a list of the greatest Venezuelan Religious Figures. The pantheon dataset contains 3,187 Religious Figures, 7 of which were born in Venezuela. This makes Venezuela the birth place of the 50th most number of Religious Figures behind Vietnam, and Denmark.
Top 8
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Venezuelan Religious Figures of all time. This list of famous Venezuelan Religious Figures is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity.
1. Juan Vicente Pérez (1909 - 2024)
With an HPI of 68.92, Juan Vicente Pérez is the most famous Venezuelan Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 23 different languages on wikipedia.
Juan Vicente Pérez Mora (27 May 1909 – 2 April 2024) was a Venezuelan supercentenarian who, until his death aged 114 years, 311 days, was the world's oldest verified living man following the death of Spain's Saturnino de la Fuente García on 18 January 2022.
2. Arturo Sosa (b. 1948)
With an HPI of 61.93, Arturo Sosa is the 2nd most famous Venezuelan Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.
Arturo Marcelino Sosa Abascal (born 12 November 1948) is a Venezuelan Catholic priest who has served as the 31st superior general of the Society of Jesus since 2016. He was elected by the Society's 36th General Congregation to succeed Adolfo Nicolás. He is the first person born in Latin America to lead the Jesuits.
3. Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo (b. 1944)
With an HPI of 60.23, Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo is the 3rd most famous Venezuelan Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.
Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo (Spanish pronunciation: [baltaˈsaɾ enˈri.ke ˈporas kaɾˈðoso]; born 10 October 1944) is a Venezuelan prelate of the Catholic Church, who was named Metropolitan Archbishop of Caracas in 2023 after serving as apostolic administrator there for four and a half years. He was auxiliary bishop of Mérida from 1983 to 1991 and then metropolitan archbishop of Mérida from 1991 to 2023. Pope Francis made him a cardinal in 2016.
4. Rosalio José Castillo Lara (1922 - 2007)
With an HPI of 57.15, Rosalio José Castillo Lara is the 4th most famous Venezuelan Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Rosalio José Castillo Lara (4 September 1922 – 16 October 2007) was a Venezuelan prelate of the Catholic Church. He worked in the Roman Curia for almost all of his career, first with responsibility for rewriting the code of canon law and then in administrative positions in the government of the Holy See. He was made a cardinal in 1985.
5. Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino (1942 - 2021)
With an HPI of 56.03, Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino is the 5th most famous Venezuelan Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 21 different languages.
Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino (28 August 1942 – 23 September 2021) was a Venezuelan prelate of the Catholic Church. He was auxiliary bishop of Caracas from 1982 to 1990, Archbishop of Valencia from 1990 to 2005, and Archbishop of Caracas from 2005 to 2018. He was made a cardinal in 2006.
6. Edgar Peña Parra (b. 1960)
With an HPI of 55.36, Edgar Peña Parra is the 6th most famous Venezuelan Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Edgar Robinson Peña Parra (born 6 March 1960) is a Venezuelan Catholic prelate who has served as Substitute for the Secretariat of State for the Holy See since 2018. He joined the diplomatic corps of the Holy See in 1993, serving as Apostolic Nuncio to Pakistan from 2011 to 2015 and to Mozambique from 2015 to 2018. He is the first Venezuelan to serve as an apostolic nuncio.
7. Ignacio Velasco (1929 - 2003)
With an HPI of 53.56, Ignacio Velasco is the 7th most famous Venezuelan Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Antonio Ignacio Velasco García, S.D.B. (17 January 1929 – 6 July 2003) was a Venezuelan prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the Archbishop of Caracas from 27 May 1995 until his death.
8. José Humberto Quintero Parra (1902 - 1984)
With an HPI of 52.88, José Humberto Quintero Parra is the 8th most famous Venezuelan Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
José Humberto Quintero Parra (September 22, 1902 – July 8, 1984) was the first Venezuelan Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Caracas from 1960 to 1980, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1961.
People
Pantheon has 8 people classified as Venezuelan religious figures born between 1902 and 1960. Of these 8, 3 (37.50%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Venezuelan religious figures include Arturo Sosa, Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo, and Edgar Peña Parra. The most famous deceased Venezuelan religious figures include Juan Vicente Pérez, Rosalio José Castillo Lara, and Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino. As of April 2024, 1 new Venezuelan religious figures have been added to Pantheon including Edgar Peña Parra.
Living Venezuelan Religious Figures
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Arturo Sosa
1948 - Present
HPI: 61.93
Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo
1944 - Present
HPI: 60.23
Edgar Peña Parra
1960 - Present
HPI: 55.36
Deceased Venezuelan Religious Figures
Go to all RankingsJuan Vicente Pérez
1909 - 2024
HPI: 68.92
Rosalio José Castillo Lara
1922 - 2007
HPI: 57.15
Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino
1942 - 2021
HPI: 56.03
Ignacio Velasco
1929 - 2003
HPI: 53.56
José Humberto Quintero Parra
1902 - 1984
HPI: 52.88
Newly Added Venezuelan Religious Figures (2025)
Go to all RankingsOverlapping Lives
Which Religious Figures were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 4 most globally memorable Religious Figures since 1700.
