Territory Styria Rite Roman Rite Pope Francis Country Austria Cathedral Graz Cathedral | Denomination Roman Catholic Established June 22, 1218 Area 16,392 km² Bishop Wilhelm Krautwaschl Metropolitan archbishop Franz Lackner | |
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Population
- Total
- Catholics (as of 2013)
1,213,255
863,286 (71.2%) Ecclesiastical province Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salzburg Patron saints Rupert of Salzburg, Vergilius of Salzburg | ||
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Graz-Seckau (Latin: Dioecesis Seccoviensis, German: Diözese Graz-Seckau) is a diocese comprising the Austrian state of Styria and is part of the Ecclesiastical province of Salzburg.
Contents
History
The See of Seckau was founded by Archbishop Eberhard II of Salzburg, with the permission of pope Honorius III, on 22 June 1218, as suffragan of Salzburg. Emperor Frederick II gave his consent on 26 October 1218 and conferred on the incumbent of the see the dignity of prince of the Roman Empire. The first bishop was Provost Karl von Friesach (1218–30).
Under Habsburg Emperor Joseph II, the diocese was reorganized and its territory enlarged. The original intention of the emperor, to establish an archbishopric at Graz, was frustrated by the opposition of the Archbishop of Salzburg.
In 1786, however, the residence of the prince-bishop was transferred from Seckau to Graz, the capital of Styria, but the name of the diocese remained unchanged. A new cathedral chapter was installed at Graz, composed at first of three dignitaries and four canons. The see included thenceforth the Salzburg territory in Styria; at the same time a new diocese, the Diocese of Leoben, was created for Upper Styria. After the death of the first and only Bishop of Leoben, the administration of this see was entrusted in 1808 to the bishops of Seckau. The limits of Seckau are due to a regulation of 1859, incorporating the Diocese of Leoben into that of Seckau, while Seckau ceded Southern Styria with its (chiefly) Slovenian population to the Diocese of Lavant.
The Diocese also operates a religious museum housed in the former Jesuit University building in the Graz Old Town across from the cathedral and the Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria with the mausoleum of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor.
The currenct bishop, Wilhelm Krautwaschl was appointed by Pope Francis on Thursday, April 16, 2015.He was Rector of the Episcopal Seminary in Graz and Vocations Director and Tribunal Judge (since 2006).