Area 98,000 km² | ||
 | ||
Population- Total- Catholics (as of 2002)1.5 million11,120 (0.8%) Apostolic Vicar Jean Khamsé Vithavong, O.M.I | ||
Apostolic Vicariate (or Vicariate Apostolic) of Vientiane (Latin: Vicariatus Apostolicus Vientianensis) is an Apostolic Vicariate (pre-diocesan missionary jurisdiction entitled to a titular bishop) of the Latin Roman Catholic Church in Laos.
Contents
It is exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See (not part of any ecclesiastical province and its Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
Its cathedral episcopal see and one of the country's largest churches is the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Vientiane, which was built in 1928 and renovated in 2004/2005. It is currently vacant, under a temporary apostolic administrator.
Statistics
The vicariate covers 74,195 km² in the civil Laotian provinces of Houaphan, Xiangkhoang, Vientiane Province, Vientiane Prefecture and most of Bolikhamsai.
As per 2014 it pastorally served 14,947 Catholics (0.7% of 2,216,558 total) in 23 parishes with 5 priests (1 diocesan, 4 religious) and 24 lay religious (4 brothers, 20 sisters).
History
The vicariate goes back to the Apostolic Prefecture of Vientiane and Luang-Prabang, which was created on June 14, 1938, by splitting off the northern part of the Apostolic Vicariate of Laos.
On March 13, 1952, it was elevated to an Apostolic vicariate (hence entitled to a titular bishop, and renamed Vientiane after its see, a former Laotian national capital.
The northern part around Luang Prabang was split off on 3 March, 1963 to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Luang Prabang, which so far was usually held in personal union with Vientiane or under manadates as Apostolic administrator.
Ordinaries
(all Roman Rite)