Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City Belmopan

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Metropolitan
  
Charles Henry Dufour

Pope
  
Francis

Cathedral
  
Holy Redeemer Cathedral

Auxiliary bishop
  
Christopher Glancy

Rite
  
Roman Rite

Area
  
2,591 km²

Country
  
Belize

Ecclesiastical province
  
Charles Henry Dufour

Population - Total - Catholics
  
(as of 2004) 287,730 218,938 (76.1%)

Co-cathedral
  
Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral (Belmopan)

Auxiliary Bishops
  
Christopher Glancy, C.S.V.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City and Belmopan (Latin: Dioecesis Belizepolitanus and Belmopanus) is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in continental Central America. The diocese comprises the entirety of Belize, the former British dependency British Honduras. It is a Latin suffragan of the Archdiocese of Kingston (on Jamaica) and a member of the Antilles Episcopal Conference, yet still depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Contents

The cathedral of the diocese, also known as its mother church, is Holy Redeemer Cathedral in Belize City. Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Belmopan is the co-cathedral of the diocese.

History

  • The diocese was erected as the Apostolic Prefecture of British Honduras (the country's colonial name) on 10 June 1888, on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Jamaica.
  • It was elevated on 1 March 1893 as Apostolic Vicariate of British Honduras, hence entitled to a titular bishop. Its name was changed to the Apostolic Vicariate of Belize, after its see, on 15 December 1925.
  • It was elevated to Diocese of Belize on 29 February 1956. On 31 December 1983 the name of the diocese was changed to Diocese of Belize City–Belmopan.

    • Statistics

    As per 2014, it pastorally served 162,100 Catholics (48.5% of 334,297 total) on 22,963 km² in 13 parishes and 5 missions with 46 priests (14 diocesan, 32 religious), 2 deacons, 95 lay religious (38 brothers, 57 sisters) and a seminarian.

    Episcopal Ordinaries

    (all Roman Rite)

    Apostolic Prefect of British Honduras
    1. Salvatore di Pietro, Society of Jesus (S.J.) (1888.06.10 – 1893.01.03 see below)
    Apostolic Vicars of British Honduras
    1. Salvatore di Pietro, S.J. (see above 1893.01.03 – death 1898.08.23), Titular Bishop of Eurœa (1893.01.03 – 1898.08.23)
    2. Frederick C. Hopkins, S.J. (1899.08.17 – death 1923.04.19), Titular Bishop of Athribis (1899.08.17 – 1923.04.19)
    3. Joseph Anthony Murphy, S.J. (1923.12.11 – 1925.12.15 see below ), Titular Bishop of Birtha (1923.12.11 – death 1939.11.25)
    Apostolic Vicars of Belize
    1. Joseph Anthony Murphy, S.J. (1925.12.15 – retired 1938)
    2. William A. Rice, S.J. (1938.11.19 – death 1946.02.28), Titular Bishop of Rusicade (1938.11.19 – 1946.02.28)
    3. David Francis Hickey, S.J. (1948.06.10 – 1956.02.29 see below), Titular Bishop of Bonitza (1948.06.10 – 1956.02.29)
    Suffragan Bishops of Belize (City)
    1. David Francis Hickey, S.J. (see above 1956.02.29 – retired 1957.08.01), emeritate as Titular Bishop of Cabasa (1957.08.01 – death 1973.08.24)
    2. Robert Louis Hodapp, S.J. (1958.03.02 – retired 1983), died 1989
    Suffragan Bishops of Belize City–Belmopan
    1. Osmond P. Martin (1983.11.11 – retired 2006.11.18), succeeding as previous Auxiliary Bishop of Belize (1982.06.08 – 1983.11.11) and Titular Bishop of Thucca in Mauretania (1982.06.08 – 1983.11.11); died 2017
    2. Dorick McGowan Wright (2006.11.18 – retired 2017.01.26), succeeding as previous Auxiliary Bishop of Belize City–Belmopan (2001.12.12 – 2006.11.18) and Titular Bishop of Thimida Regia (2001.12.12 – 2006.11.18)
      1. Auxiliary Bishop Christopher Glancy, Clerics of Saint Viator (C.S.V.) (18 December 2012 - ...), Titular Bishop of Absa Salla (2012.02.18 – ...)
    3. Lawrence Sydney Nicasio (26 January 2017 - ... ).

    References

    Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City-Belmopan Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA