Harman Patil (Editor)

Roman Catholic Diocese of Varanasi

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Rite
  
Latin Rite

Emeritus Bishops
  
Patrick Paul D’Souza

Country
  
India

Emeritus bishop
  
Patrick Paul D'Souza

Pope
  
Francis

Area
  
21,395 km²

Patron saint
  
John the Baptist

Metropolitan archbishop
  
Albert D'Souza

Roman Catholic Diocese of Varanasi httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Population - Total - Catholics
  
(as of 2010) 20,328,000 18,259 (0.1%)

Cathedral
  
St Mary’s Cathedral in Varanasi

Ecclesiastical province
  
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agra

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Varanasi (Latin: Varanasien(sis)) is a Latin suffragan diocese in the Ecclesiastical province of Agra in northern India' s vast state Uttar Pradesh.

Contents

Its cathedral episcopal see is St. Mary’s Cathedral in the city of Varanasi.

History

  • Established on July 11, 1946 as Apostolic Prefecture of Gorakhpur, on territory split off from the Diocese of Allahabad, exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See
  • September 17, 1958: Renamed as Apostolic Prefecture of Benares-Gorakhpur
  • Promoted on June 5, 1970 as Diocese of Banaras (Benares), losing its exempt status by becoming a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Agra
  • May 14, 1971: Renamed as Diocese of Varanasi (as the city had changed its name).

    • Ordinaries

    (all Latin, Roman Rite)

    Apostolic Prefects of Gorakhpur
  • Father Joseph Emil Malenfant, Capuchin Friars (O.F.M. Cap.) (June 6, 1947 – September 17, 1958 see below)
    • Apostolic Prefects of Benares-Gorakhpur
  • Joseph Emil Malenfant, O.F.M. Cap. (see above September 17, 1958 – 1970)
    • Bishops of Banaras
  • Patrick Paul D’Souza (June 5, 1970 – May 14, 1971 see below)
    • Bishops of Varanasi
  • Patrick Paul D’Souza (see above May 14, 1971 – February 24, 2007), Vice-President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (1996 – 1998)
  • Raphy Manjaly (February 24, 2007 – 2013.10.17), later Bishop of Allahabad (India, in the same province) (2013.10.17 – ...)
  • Eugene Joseph (2015.05.30 – ...)

    • References

    Roman Catholic Diocese of Varanasi Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA