Other Nations—1

This blog is the first of six to discuss nations that do not have ecclesiastic provinces.  Typically the jurisdictions are directly subject to the pope.

North Africa

Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Western Sahara

Libya

Catholicism came to Libya during the days of the Roman Empire, but suffered a setback when Arab Muslims conquered Libya in the 7^th Century.  European Christians briefly controlled Libya in the 12^th Century before it once again fell to Muslims.  Italy took control of Libya in 1911 and over the next 40 years, 150,000 Italians settled in Libya.  Italy yielded control of Libya as a result of the Second World War and Libya claimed independence in 1951.  Muammar Gaddifi staged a coup d’etat against the Libyan government in 1969 and expelled most of the remaining Italians from the country.  Today, Libya has a population of 6.8 million and almost all of the people are Muslim.  There are between 20,000 and 50,000 Catholics in Libya, depending on the source, and these Catholics are of Italian, Maltese, and Filipino descent.  The Catholics are part of four jurisdictions, all of which are immediately subject to the Pope.

·       The Apostolic Vicariate of Tripoli was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1640 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1913.   The Apostolic Vicariate of Benghazi was established in 1927.

·       The Apostolic Vicariate of Derna was established in 1939 but has not had a bishop since 1948, and the Apostolic Prefecture of Misurata was established in 1939 but has not had a leader since 1985.

Today there are two Catholic churches in Libya—one in Tripoli and one in Benghazi.  Both are administered by Franciscan priests from Malta, one of whom is the Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli and the administrator of the Apostolic Vicariate of Benghazi.

Morocco

Morocco was part of the Roman Empire and many of the people were Christian—notably St. Augustine.  Arab Muslims controlled Morocco after 700, but many Christians remained there until the 13^th Century.  By then, almost all Moroccans were Muslim.  Starting in the 11th Century, Morocco was ruled by a succession of Muslim kings.  [An interesting historical note:  in 1777, Morocco was the first nation to recognize the United States as an independent nation.]  In the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, France and Spain ruled parts of Morocco, and many people from those countries settled there.  France granted independence to Morocco in 1956 as did Spain, although Spain retains two coastal cities.

Morocco has a total population of 34 million, almost all of whom are Muslim—the King claims to be a direct descendant of Muhammad.  Prior to independence, there were half a million Catholics in Morocco, but today there are fewer than 25,000 and most are of French or Spanish ancestry or are from sub-Saharan Africa.  These Catholics are served by two archdioceses, both of which are immediately subject to the Pope.  Over 90 percent of these Catholics are in the Archdiocese of Rabat, which was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1923 and became an archdiocese in 1955.

St. Peter's Cathedral in Rabat, from Wikipedia

The Archdiocese of Tanger was initially established as a diocese in 1469, before being suppressed in 1570.  It became an apostolic prefecture in 1630, an apostolic vicariate in 1908, before becoming an archdiocese in 1956. 

Holy Spirit Cathedral in Tanger from Wikipedia.

Tunisia

Tunisia became part of the Roman Empire after Rome conquered Carthage in 146 B.C.  The region prospered under Rome and eventually became Christian.  Arab Muslims conquered what is now Tunisia in the 7^th Century and over the next 400 years the people became Muslim, although some Christians remained.  Tunisia became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1534 and was conquered by France in 1881.  European colonization followed and by 1956, when France granted independence to Tunisia, there were over 250,000 French and Italian people living in Tunisia.

Today, almost all of Tunisia’s 12 million people are Muslim and only about 25,000 are Catholic.  The Catholics are served by the Archdiocese of Tunis, which is immediately subject to the Pope.  Tunis was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1843 and was suppressed in 1884 (in favor of the Archdiocese of Carthage which existed from 1884 to 1964).  Tunis became a territorial prelature in 1964, a diocese in 1995, and an archdiocese in 2010.  The Catholics are mostly of Italian and French descent, but some are indigenous Tunisians.

Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul in Tunis from Wikipedia.

Western Sahara

Western Sahara is a non-self-governing territory that is claimed by Morocco and by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.  Once a colony of Spain, the territory gained independence in 1976, but its governance has been in dispute ever since.  Western Sahara’s 620,000 people are Muslim, but there are a few hundred Catholics (almost all Spaniards).  They are served by the Apostolic Prefecture of Western Sahara, which was established (under a different name) in 1954 and is immediately subject to the Pope.

Middle East

Cyprus and the Arabian Peninsula

Cyprus

Cyprus gained independence from Great Britain in 1960 but almost immediately was immersed in a civil war between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.  Today about one third of the island nation claims to be the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.  The Turkish portion of the nation is presumably all Muslim and the following statistics are only for the Greek part of Cyprus.

Christianity came to Cyprus during apostolic times and the apostle, Barnabas, is believed to be buried in Cyprus.  Cyprus has 1.2 million people and 89 percent are Greek Orthodox.  There are about 30,000 Catholics.  About 10,000 Maronite Catholics form the Archdiocese of Cyprus, which was established in 1357, and is immediately subject to the Maronite Patriarch.  Roman Rite Catholics are under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Jerusalem.

Arabian Peninsula

Although Christianity reached the Arabian Peninsula in apostolic times, the region has long been predominantly Muslim.  Roman Rite Catholics in the Arabian Peninsula are divided between the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia and the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia.  

The Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1953 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1954.  It is headquartered in Kuwait City and is directly under the jurisdiction of the Pope.  Catholics in four countries are served by this vicariate—Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.  There are about 2.6 million Roman Rite Catholics in these countries served by 11 parishes.  Most of the Catholics are foreign workers.

Holy Family Cathedral in Kuwait City from Wikipedia.

Kuwait has a population of 4.4 million, about 70 percent of whom are immigrants.  Muslims account for 75 percent of the total and Christians for 18 percent.  Catholics number 370,000.  In addition to the Roman Rite Catholics, there are a few dozen Greek-Melkite and Syriac Catholics in Kuwait.  The Greek-Melkite Catholics form the Patriarchal Exarchate of Kuwait which was created in 1972 and is immediately subject to the Greek-Melkite Patriarch.  Syriac Catholics are part of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Basra and the Gulf in Iraq. 

Bahrain has 1.4 million people and over 70 percent are Muslim.  Almost half of Bahrain’s population is made up of foreign workers.  Catholics number 100,000. 

Qatar has 2.4 million people and two-thirds are Muslim.  Catholics number 350,000.

Saudi Arabia has a population of 29 million.  Saudi citizens are 100 percent Muslim, but there are 1.6 million Catholics—mostly Filipino.  Unlike the other Arabian countries, freedom of worship is not allowed in Saudi Arabia and there are no Christian churches in the country.

The other three nations of the Arabian Peninsula—the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen—are under the jurisdiction of the Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Arabia, located in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Jedda was established in 1840 and became the Apostolic Vicariate of Aden in 1888.  It acquired its current name in 2011.  The Vicariate serves one million Catholics in 16 parishes in the three countries and is immediately subject to the Pope.  Almost all of the Catholics in these countries are foreign workers.  The Vicariate is staffed by the Capuchins of Florence, Italy.

Both pictures are of St. Joseph Cathedral in Abu Dhabi.  The top picture is from Wikipedia and the bottom picture is from the cathedral's website.

The United Arab Emirates has 9.7 million people and 88 percent are immigrants.  About 75 percent of the people are Muslim and over 800,000 are Catholic.

Oman has a population of 4 million and almost half are immigrants.  Muslims account for 86 percent of the total population.  There are over 80,000 Catholics.

Yemen has 29 million people, almost all of whom are Muslim.  There are only a few thousand Catholics.

Definitions

There are dioceses and archdioceses that are not part of a province and that are directly under the jurisdiction of the Pope.  There are also missionary jurisdictions below the level of a diocese.  These include apostolic vicariates, apostolic prefectures, and territorial prelatures.  An apostolic vicariate is led by a bishop and the others are led by priests below the level of a bishop. 

Most Catholics in the world belong to the Latin or Roman rite.  Rite refers to liturgical practices, ecclesiastical discipline, and spiritual heritage.  Many Catholics belong to one of two dozen Eastern rite churches.  Eastern rite churches trace their heritage to Eastern Europe and the Middle East.  Eastern rite churches sometimes use different terminologies.  For example, a diocese might be called an eparchy and is led by an eparch.  A vicariate apostolic is called an exarchy and is led by an exarch. 

Oceania—1

This blog covers Australia and New Zealand.

Australia

Catholics came to Australia on the first British ships in 1788 and these Catholics were mostly Irish convicts or Royal Marines.  By 1828, there were only 10,000 Catholics in Australia, but by 1841 there were 40,000.  The first priests settled in Australia in 1820 and the first bishop, John Polding, an English Benedictine, arrived in 1834.  Other religious orders, including the Christian Brothers and the Jesuits arrived in the 1840s.

Australia has 5.8 million Catholic or about 25 percent of the total population.  About 30 percent of the population are Protestant or Orthodox Christians and 40 percent of Australians claim no particular religion.  Australia has five Catholic ecclesiastical provinces—Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth.  In addition, the Roman Rite Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn (New South Wales) and the Roman Rite Archdiocese of Hobart (Tasmania), are immediately subject to the Pope.  The Diocese of Goulburn was established in 1862 and became the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn in 1948.  The Diocese of Hobart was created in 1842 and was raised to an archdiocese in 1888. 

The Anglican Rite Diocese of Our Lady of the Southern Cross is immediately subject to the Pope.  The Chaldean Rite Diocese of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Sydney, the Greek-Melkite Rite Diocese of St. Michael's of Sydney, the Maronite Rite Diocese of Saint Maron of Sydney, and the Syro-Malabar Rite Diocese of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Melbourne, are immediately subject their respective patriarchs or major archbishop.  There is also a military diocese.

Province of Sydney

The Province consists of most of the civil province of New South Wales.  The Apostolic Vicariate of New Holland and Van Diemen’s Land was established in 1834 and this became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Sydney in 1842. 

The Cathedral Church and Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Mother of God, Help of Christians (St. Mary's Cathedral) is located in Sydney.  The English Gothic Revival Cathedral replaced the first cathedral which burned in 1865.  The current church, built of sandstone, began construction in 1868 and was opened and dedicated in 1882.  Work continued on the Cathedral and it was not until 2000 that the 245-foot spires on the south side of the Cathedral were added.  The Cathedral’s stained glass windows (over 40 of them) were made by Hardman Studios in England in the late 1880s.  The Stations of the Cross were made by a 19^th Century French artist.  The Cathedral also has a relic of St. Francis Xavier (his right hand).  Pope Pius XI designated the Cathedral as a minor basilica in 1932.  Additional information can be found at stmaryscathedral.org.au.

The first two pictures are from the Cathedral's website and the second two are from Wikipedia.

The Province has nine suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle was established as the Diocese of Maitland in 1847 and was given its current name in 1995.

·         The Diocese of Bathurst was established in 1865.

·         The Diocese of Armidale was established in 1869.

·         The Diocese of Lismore was established in 1887 as the Diocese of Grafton and became the Diocese of Lismore in 1900.

·         The Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes was established in 1887 as the Diocese of Wilcannia and acquired its current name in 1917.

·         The Diocese of Wagga Wagga was established in 1917.

·         The Diocese of Woolongong was established in 1951.

·         The Diocese of Broken Bay was established in 1986.

·         The Diocese of Parramatta was established in 1986.

Province of Melbourne

The Province consists of the civil province of Victoria.  The Diocese of Melbourne was created in 1847 and was promoted as the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Melbourne in 1874.  

Construction of St. Patrick’s Cathedral Basilica in Melbourne began in 1858, and although the nave was finished within ten years, the official completion would not come until 1939.  The Cathedral is constructed of bluestone and sandstone in a Gothic-revival style.  The central spire is 344 feet high and the flanking towers and spires are 203 feet high.  Since almost all Melbourne Catholics in the middle of the 19^th Century were Irish, the Cathedral was dedicated to St. Patrick.  Pope Paul VI designated the Cathedral as a minor basilica in 1974.  The current cathedral choir dates to 1939 when the Vienna Mozart Boys Choir was stranded in Australia at the beginning of the Second World War.  Today the choir members are students at St. Kevin’s College.  The Cathedral’s website is cam.org.au/cathedral.

The top picture is from Flickr and the other two are from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Ballarat was established in 1874.

·         The Diocese of Sandhurst was established in 1874.

·         The Diocese of Sale was established in 1887.

·         The Ukrainian Rite Catholic Diocese of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne was established as the Apostolic Vicariate of Australia in 1958 and attained its current name in 1982.

Province of Adelaide

The Province consists of the civil provinces of South Australia and the Northern Territory.  The Diocese of Adelaide (South Australia) was established in 1842.  It was promoted as the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Adelaide in 1887. 

Construction of St. Francis Xavier’s Cathedral in Adelaide began in 1856 and the church was dedicated in 1958.  Several expansions have been made over the years and the bell tower was not completed until 1996.  The main bell was cast in 1867 and seven of the other 13 bells came from St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney.  The Cathedral features a statue of St. John the Baptist baptizing Jesus, carved in Italy in 1925; a chapel altar made of Carrara marble with panels of lapis lazuli made in 1954; and windows depicting St. Patrick and St. Lawrence.  The Cathedral’s website is adelcathparish.org.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Darwin (Northern Territory) began as the Apostolic Vicariate of Essington in 1845 and became the Diocese of Victoria in 1847.  It acquired its current name in 1938.

·         The Diocese of Port Augusta was established in 1887 and became the Diocese of Port Pirie (South Australia) in 1951.

Province of Brisbane

The Province consists of the civil province of Queensland.  The Diocese of Brisbane was created in 1859 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Brisbane in 1887.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane is a Gothic Revival building made of Brisbane tuff and freestone.  The towers are made of sandstone.  Construction began in 1863 and the incomplete Cathedral was dedicated in 1874.  The Cathedral’s Stations of the Cross were made in Germany.  For additional information, see cathedralofststephen.org.au.

Both are from Wikipedia

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Rockhampton was established in 1881.

·         The Diocese of Toowoomba was established in 1929.

·         The Diocese of Townsville was established in 1930.

·         The Diocese of Cairns was established as the Apostolic Vicariate of Queensland in 1877 and became a diocese in 1941.

Province of Perth

The Province consists of the civil province of Western Australia.  The Diocese of Perth was established in 1845 and was promoted to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Perth in 1913.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Perth replaced an earlier cathedral built in 1865.  Construction of the current building began in 1926 and was opened in an incomplete state in 1930.  Full completion of the Cathedral did not come until 2009.  The Cathedral is made of limestone and is designed in an English Perpendicular Gothic style.  The Cathedral has stained glass windows from England and mosaics based on the Irish Book of Kells.  The Cathedral’s website is stmaryscathedralperth.com.au.

The first is from the Cathedral's website and the other two are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Geraldton was established in 1898.

·         The Diocese of Bunbury was established in 1954.

·         The Diocese of Broome was established as the Apostolic Vicariate of Kimberly in Western Australia in 1887 and acquired its current name in 1966.

New Zealand

British colonization of New Zealand began in 1840, but it would take until 1872 for the British to fully defeat the Maori people.  New Zealand gained independence in 1907.  Catholic missionaries came to New Zealand in 1840 and today New Zealand has 540,000 Catholics, or 12 percent of the total population.  Less than half of New Zealanders claim to be Christian.

New Zealand has one province—Wellington.  There is also a military diocese.  Chaldean Catholics, Greek-Melkite Catholics, and Ukrainian Catholics are under the leadership of bishops in Australia. 

Province of Wellington

The Province consists of New Zealand.  The Diocese of Wellington (North Island) was established in 1848 and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Wellington in 1887.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Wellington replaced an earlier Cathedral that burned in 1898.  The current Cathedral was opened in 1901 and is mainly built with Oamaru limestone in a basilica style.  At one time, the Cathedral had two bell towers, but they were torn down in 1942 after being damaged by an earthquake.  The Cathedral has bronze sculptures by a local artist that depict Mary’s sorrow underneath each of the Stations of the Cross.  There is also a carved rock that was a gift of Catholic Maori that depicts the Faith given by Jesus at the base, and above that representations of various aspects of the Faith.  The courtyard has a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary that was made in France and that was originally placed in the old Cathedral.  The statue fell 80 feet during the 1898 fire, but was largely undamaged.  The Cathedral’s website is mcshwellington.org.

The top picture is from tripadvisor and the other two are from Wikipedia.

The Province has five suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Auckland (North Island) was created as the Apostolic Vicariate of New Zealand in 1842 and became a diocese in 1848.

·         The Diocese of Dunedin (South Island) was established in 1869.

·         The Diocese of Christchurch (South Island) was established in 1887.

·         The Diocese of Hamilton (North Island) was established in 1980.

·         The Diocese of Palmerston North (North Island) was established in 1980.

Eastern Africa—1

This blog covers four countries in East Africa—Kenya, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea.

Kenya

Portuguese explorers came to Kenya in 1498 and although some Kenyans became Catholic at that time, it was not until Protestant missionaries came in 1844 that Christianity took root in Kenya.  The Holy Ghost Fathers came to Kenya in 1892 and were successful evangelizers for the Catholic Faith.  The efforts of the Holy Ghost Fathers and other Catholic missionaries to establish schools and educate Africans were an important contribution to Kenyan society.  Kenya came under the control of the British East Africa Company in 1887 and became a British Colony in 1920.  Kenya became an independent nation in 1963.  There are 13 million Catholics in Kenya or 29 percent of the total population.  About half of all Kenyans are Protestant.  There are four ecclesiastical provinces:  Nairobi, Kisumu, Nyeri, and Mombasa.  There is also a military diocese and the Apostolic Vicariate of Isiolo, which was established in 1995 and is immediately subject to the Pope.  As an aside, the first Apostolic Vicar of Isiolo, Luigi Locati, was murdered in 2005 by four men who were paid for the killing by one of Locati’s priests.

Province of Nairobi

The province consists of south central Kenya.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Nairobi was created in 1953.

The first church for Holy Family parish was built in 1904 by the Holy Ghost Fathers.  This small church was the first stone building in Nairobi.  Construction of the current church took place during the 1940s and 1950s.  The building was designed by Dorothy Hughes, a British architect, and it seats over 3,000.  The church became the Cathedral for the Archdiocese of Nairobi in 1953 and was named a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1982.  See holyfamilybasilica.infor for more information.

Both are from Wikipedia.

The Province has six suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Kitui was created in 1956 as an apostolic prefecture and became a Diocese in 1963.

·         The Diocese of Nakuru was established in 1968.

·         The Diocese of Machakos was established in 1969.

·         The Diocese of Ngong was established as an apostolic prefecture in 1959 and became a Diocese in 1976.

·         The Diocese of Kericho was established in 1995.

·         The Diocese of Woto was established in 2023.

  

Province of Kisumu

The province consists of western Kenya.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Kavirondo was established in 1925 and became the Apostolic Vicariate of Kisumu in 1932.  The Diocese of Kisumu was erected in 1953 and was promoted to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kisumu in 1990.  The Metropolitan Cathedral is dedicated to St. Theresa.  See archdioceseofkisumu.org.

Both pictures are from tripadvisor.

The Province has seven suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Eldoret began as an apostolic prefecture in 1953 and became a Diocese in 1959.

·         The Diocese of Kisii was established in 1960.

·         The Diocese of Lodwar started as an apostolic prefecture in 1968 and became a Diocese in 1978.

·         The Diocese of Kakamega was established in 1978.

·         The Diocese of Bungoma was established in 1987.

·         The Diocese of Homa Bay was established in 1993.

·         The Diocese of Kitale was established in 1998.

Province of Nyeri

The province consists of north central Kenya.  The Mission sui juris of Kenya was erected in 1905 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1909.  The Diocese of Nyeri was created in 1953 and became a metropolitan archdiocese in 1990.  Our Lady of Consolata Metropolitan Cathedral is in Nyeri.  There is a Facebook page.

The first picture is from Twitter and the second from Wikipedia.

The Province has six suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Meru started as an apostolic prefecture in 1926 before becoming a Diocese in 1953. 

·         The Diocese of Marsabit was created in 1964.

·         The Diocese of Murang’a was created in 1983.

·         The Diocese of Embu was created in 1986.

·         The Diocese of Maralal was established in 2001.

·         The Diocese of Nyahururu was created in 2002.

           The Diocese of Isiolo was created in 2023.

Province of Mombasa

The province consists of eastern Kenya.  The Diocese of Mombasa and Zanzibar was created in 1955 and became the Diocese of Mombasa in 1964.  It was promoted to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mombasa in 1990.

Holy Ghost Cathedral in Mombasa is the oldest parish in Kenya.  Construction of the current building was completed in 1923.  The Romanesque building is made of stone and has two towers at the front.  See holyghostcathedral.org.

The top picture is from TripAdvisor and the bottom picture is from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Garissa began as an apostolic prefecture in 1976 and became a Diocese in 1984.

·         The Diocese of Malindi was created in 2000.

South Sudan

South Sudan gained independence from The Sudan in 2011.  There are 5.7 million Catholics in South Sudan, or about 40 percent of the total.  There is one province:  Juba.  There are some Greek-Melkite and Syriac Catholics in South Sudan served by bishops outside of the country.

Province of Juba

The province consists of South Sudan.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Bahr el-Gebel was established in 1927 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1951.  It became the Apostolic Vicariate of Juba in 1961 and was promoted to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Juba in 1974.  The Cathedral of St. Therese in Juba was built in 1952.

From Tripadvisor

The Province has six suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Wau began as the Apostolic Prefecture of Bahr el-Ghazal in 1913 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1917.  It became the Diocese of Wau in 1974.

·         The Diocese of Malakal began as an apostolic prefecture in 1938 and became a diocese in 1974.

·         The Diocese of Tombura-Yambio began as the Apostolic Prefecture of Mupoi in 1949 and became the Diocese of Tombura in 1974.  It acquired its current name in 1986.

·         The Diocese of Rumbek was established as an apostolic vicariate in 1955 before being raised to a diocese in 1974.

·         The Diocese of Torit was created in 1983.

·         The Diocese of Yei was created in 1986.

Ethiopia

Catholic missionaries from Egypt established the Faith in Ethiopia in the 4^th Century, but most Ethiopians became monophysites in the 6^th Century and eventually Orthodox Christians.  Today, Orthodox and Protestant Christians make up 62 percent of the total population and Muslims 34 percent.  Catholics make up 900,000 or only 1 percent of the total.  Italian missionaries came to Ethiopia in the 1830s and reestablished the Church.

About 90 percent of the Catholics are Roman-rite Catholics living in the southern part of Ethiopia.  These Catholics are under the jurisdiction of 8 apostolic vicariates (Awasa, Gambella, Harar, Hosanna, Jimma-Bonga, Meki, Nekemte, and Soddo) and one apostolic prefecture (Robe)—all are immediately subject to the Pope.  The oldest of these jurisdictions was established in 1846, but all but three were established in the last 40 years.  Ethiopian Rite Catholics live mostly in Northern Ethiopia and are under the jurisdiction of the Ethiopian Rite Province of Addis Ababa.

Province of Addis Ababa

The province consists of Ethiopian Rite Catholics in Ethiopia.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Abyssinia was created in 1839 and became an apostolic vicariate in 1847.  Pope Pius XII established the Apostolic Exarchate of Addis Ababa in 1951 and Pope John XXIII raised it to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Addis Ababa in 1961.  The Archbishop of Addis Ababa is the Metropolitan of all Ethiopian Rite Catholics.  The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Addis Ababa has a website:  catholicaddis.org/cathedral.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Adigrat began as the Apostolic Prefecture of Tigray in 1937 before acquiring its current name in 1961.

·         The Diocese of Emdeber was created in 2003.

·         The Diocese of Bahir Dar-Dessie was created in 2015.

Eritrea

Eritrea, as a former province of Ethiopia, shares Ethiopia’s history until 1993, when Eritrea gained its independence.  The Eritrean Rite was created in 2015.  Eritrean Rite Catholics number about 200,000, or less than 4 percent of the total population of 6 million.  There is one province:  Asmara.

Province of Asmara

The province consists of Eritrea.  The Ordinariate of Eritrea was established in 1930, became the Apostolic Exarchate of Asmara in 1951, and the Diocese of Asmara in 1961.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese was created in 2015.  The Archbishop of Asmara is the Metropolitan of all Eritrean Rite Catholics.  

The Metropolitan Cathedral is dedicated to Our Blessed Mother as Kidane Mehret in the Ge’ez language or Covenant of Mercy in English.  This refers to Our Lord’s promise to His Mother that He would forgive the sins of those who sought her intercession.  The Cathedral was built in 1969.

The top picture is from panaramio and the bottom picture is from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Barentu was created in 1995.

·         The Diocese of Keren was created in 1995.

·         The Diocese of Segheneyti was created in 2012.

Definitions

The Catholic Church is mostly divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese and one or more dioceses.  The province and the archdiocese are led by an archbishop.  Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led by a bishop.  Archbishops have some responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the Pope.  There are also archdioceses that are not part of a province that are directly under the jurisdiction of the Pope.  There are also jurisdictions below the level of a diocese.  These include apostolic vicariates and apostolic prefectures.  Both are missionary territories below the level of a diocese.  The difference is that a vicar apostolic holds the rank of a bishop and the prefect apostolic is a priest, but not a bishop.  There is also a jurisdiction called a mission sui juris.  A mission sui juris may be part of a province and is often administered by a bishop of another diocese. 

Most Catholics in the world belong to the Latin or Roman rite.  Rite refers to liturgical practices, ecclesiastical discipline, and spiritual heritage.  Many Catholics belong to one of two dozen Eastern rite churches.  Eastern rite churches trace their heritage to Eastern Europe and the Middle East.  Eastern rite churches sometimes use different terminologies.  For example, a diocese might be called an eparchy and is led by an eparch.  A vicariate apostolic is called an exarchy and is led by an exarch. 

A basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.  Some cathedrals are also basilicas.  Each basilica has a ceremonial umbrella in the papal colors of white and yellow and a ceremonial bell (although some basilicas do not display them).  Both of these are symbolic of the Pope’s special relationship to the basilica.