Ecclesiastical province Bucharest Parishes 83 Rite Roman Rite Country Romania Metropolitan archbishop Ioan Robu | Deaneries 6 Denomination Roman Catholic Area 91,120 km² Auxiliary bishop Cornel Damian | |
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Population
- Total
- Catholics (as of 2012)
9,779,000
92,050 (0.9%) Cathedral Saint Joseph Cathedral, Bucharest | ||
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest is the Latin Metropolitan archdiocese in Romania.
Contents
Its cathedral episcopal see is Bucharest. Its archbishop since 1990 has been Ioan Robu, previously Apostolic Administrator since 25 October 1984.
History
It was established on 27 April 1883. There had been a Catholic presence in the city since at least the 18th century, but only in 1847 Bishop Josephus Molajoni was able to establish his residence there. His successor, Angelus Parsi, restored the episcopal palace, which had been destroyed by fire in 1847, and in 1852 brought to Bucharest the English Ladies, and in 1861 the Brothers of the Christian Schools. In 1863 Bishop Parsi was succeeded by Josephus Pluym, from 1869 Patriarchal Vicar of Constantinople, who in turn was followed by Ignatius Paoli.
After the establishment of the Kingdom of Romania in 1881, a movement was initiated by the government to release the Catholic subjects from dependence on a foreign bishop, and negotiations were begun with Rome. Two years later, Pope Leo XIII raised the Apostolic Vicariate of Wallachia to an archdiocese, with Bucharest as residence, which was exempt, i.e. directly subordinate to the Vatican.
Extent
It comprises 91,120 square kilometers (35,195 Square Miles). In addition to national capital Bucharest, the archdiocese covers the rest of Wallachia (Oltenia, Muntenia and Dobrudja)—the counties of Mehedinţi, Gorj, Dolj, Vâlcea, Olt, Argeş, Teleorman, Dâmboviţa, Giurgiu, Prahova, Ilfov, Buzău, Ialomiţa, Călăraşi, Brăila, Tulcea and Constanţa, of which 0.9% are Roman Catholic, with the largest number of parishes in Bucharest. Its adherents are predominantly Romanian.
Province
Its ecclesiastical province comprises the Metropolitan's own Archdiocese and the following suffragans :