Other Nations—4
Central Asia

This blog is the fourth of six to discuss nations that do not have ecclesiastic provinces.  Typically these jurisdictions are subject directly to the pope.  This blog covers the Central Asian nations of Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and
Uzbekistan.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan became a nation in 1747, but later came under British control which lasted until 1919.  Tradition has it that the Apostles Thomas and Bartholomew preached in Afghanistan and there is a record of a Diocese of Herat in the 5th Century.  Eventually there were Orthodox and Nestorian Christians in Afghanistan, but today the nation’s 35 million people are almost 100 percent Muslim.  The Italian Embassy in Kabul was allowed to open a chapel in 1921 for foreign Catholics only.  Pope John Paul II established the Mission sui juris of Afghanistan in 2002 to serve the needs of the few hundred foreign Catholics in the country.  The mission is immediately subject to the Pope.  U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan are served by military chaplains.

Armenia

Armenia has been ruled by a succession of stronger neighbors for most of the last 2,000 years.  It became part of the Soviet Union in 1920 and gained independence in 1991.  Catholicism came to Armenia during Apostolic times—it is thought that the Apostles Bartholomew and Jude Thaddeus preached there and that Bartholomew was martyred there.  Armenia claims to be the first nation to have made Christianity the State Religion.  Almost 93 percent of Armenia’s three million people belong to the Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) Church.  Estimates of the number of Catholics varies from 14,000 to 280,000—most Catholics live in Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country.  Roman Rite Catholics are served by the Apostolic Administration of Caucasus (Georgia and Armenia) headquartered in Tbilisi, Georgia—see Georgia below.  The Armenian Ordinariate of East Europe serves over 600,000 Armenian Rite Catholics in Armenia, Georgia, Russia, and the Ukraine.  It was established in 1991 and is immediately subject to the Pope.  It is headquartered in Gyumri, Armenia.

Cathedral of the Holy Martyrs in Gyumri.  Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

Azerbaijan

Like most nations in this region, Azerbaijan became part of the Russian Empire in the 19th Century and became a Soviet republic in the 1920s.  It gained independence in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union.  Catholicism was introduced in Azerbaijan during the time of the Apostles, but Islam eventually became dominant.  Catholic missionaries came to the region starting in the 14th Century and established Catholic centers, but the by the 19th Century, there were few Catholics.  As part of the Russian Empire, Catholics from Germany, Poland, the Ukraine, and other European nations, came to Azerbaijan on a temporary or permanent basis.  A church was built in Baku in 1912, but it was destroyed by the Soviets in 1931, who also killed the parish priest.  Today, 97 percent of the 10 million people of Azerbaijan are Muslim.  The remainder are Orthodox Christians.  There are 600 Catholics served by the Apostolic Prefecture of Azerbaijan which has one parish in Baku (built in 2007).  The Prefecture was founded as a Mission sui juris in 2000 and became an apostolic prefecture in 2011.  It is immediately subject to the Pope.

Georgia

Georgia was part of the Roman Empire in the first centuries after Christ and eventually was dominated by the Persians, Arabs, and Turks.  Georgia became part of the Russian Empire in the 19th Century and later became part of the Soviet Union.  It gained its independence in 1991.    St. Nino brought Catholicism to Georgia in the 4th Century, but most Georgians eventually became Orthodox Christians.  Catholic missionaries have been active in Georgia for the last 400 years.  Over 83 percent of Georgia’s four million people today are Orthodox.  Catholics number about 100,000—equally divided between the Roman Rite and the Armenian Rite.  Most Catholics are in Tbilisi, the capital, or in the southern part of Georgia.  Roman Rite Catholics are served by the Apostolic Administration of Caucasus (Georgia and Armenia) headquartered in Tbilisi.  The Administration was established in 1993 and is immediately subject to the Pope.  The Armenian Ordinariate of East Europe serves over 600,000 Armenian Rite Catholics in Armenia, Georgia, Russia, and the Ukraine—see Armenia above.

Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Tbilisi.  Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan became part of the Russian Empire in 1876 and became a Soviet Republic in 1936. It gained its independence in 1991.  About 85 percent of Kyrgyzstan’s 6 million people are Muslim and most of the rest are Russian Orthodox.  Although there is some evidence that there were Catholics in the region as early as the 14th Century, most of today’s Kyrgyzstani Catholics are descendants of the Germans, Poles, and other Europeans who were exiled to Kyrgyzstan by the Soviets in the 1930s and 1940s.  Germans built the first Catholic church in 1969 and today there are about 1,000 Catholics in the country served by three parishes and some missions.  The Mission sui juris of Kyrgyzstan was created in 1997 and became an Apostolic Administration in 2006.  It is immediately subject to the Pope.

Tajikistan

Tajikistan came under the control of Russia in the 19th Century and became a Soviet Republic in 1929.  It gained independence in 1991.  During the Soviet period, German Catholics came to Tajikistan from Lithuania, Russia, and the Ukraine.  Many of these Catholics left during the civil war in Tajikistan in the 1990s.  Today, 98 percent of Tajikistan’s 8.6 million people are Muslim.  The number of Catholics is estimated to be as low as 150 and as high as 4,000.  They are served by the Mission sui juris of Tajikistan and its four priests and two parishes.  The Mission was established in 1997 and is immediately subject to the Pope.

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan has been ruled by the Persians, the Greeks, the Muslims, the Mongols, the Turks, and most recently by the Russians.  Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic in 1924 before gaining its independence in 1991.  There were Catholic churches in Turkmenistan, but all were destroyed by the Soviets in the 1920s.  About 89 percent of Turkmenistan’s 5.4 million people today are Muslim and 9 percent are Russian Orthodox.  Estimates of the number of Catholics in Turkmenistan ranges from 250 to 1,000.  Pope John Paul II established the Mission sui juris of Turkmenistan in 1997 that has one parish and two priests.  It is immediately subject to the Pope.

Uzbekistan

What is now Uzbekistan was conquered by the Russians in the 19th Century.  Uzbekistan became a Russian republic in 1924 before gaining its independence in 1991.  There is evidence that there were Christians in the area by the 7th Century, but most of the people eventually became Muslim.  Russia’s dominance of Uzbekistan resulted in a small population of Russian Orthodox Christians.  Today, 88 percent of the 30 million Uzbeks are Muslim and about 9 percent are Russian Orthodox.  There are about 4,000 Catholics, many of whom are of Polish ethnicity.  A Mission sui juris of Uzbekistan was established in 1997 and this became an apostolic administration in 2005.  The apostolic administration is immediately subject to the Pope.

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Tashkent.  All pictures are from Wikipedia.

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 jurisdictions below the level of a diocese.  These include apostolic prefectures, apostolic administrations, ordinariates, and missions sui juris.

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 Asia.