List of Catholic dioceses in Belgium
A diocese, also known as a bishopric, is an administrative unit under the supervision of a bishop, of which there are currently 8 in the Belgian Catholic Church. The 8 dioceses are divided into 1 ecclesiastical province and 7 suffragan dioceses, but also one military ordinariate,[1] which was created a military vicariate in 1957, but elevated to a military ordinariate in 1986. Its seat is located at the Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg.[2]
Since December 1961, following the restructuring of the Catholic dioceses in Belgium, the Archdiocese of Mechelen was renamed the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels. This newly created archdiocese is the primatial see of Belgium and the centre of the ecclesiastical province governed by the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels, which covers the whole of Belgium.[3]
There are also a few former Roman Catholic dioceses in Belgium, including the Dioceses of Eupen-Malmedy and Ypres, but also the ancient Diocese of Thérouanne. The latter was split between the Dioceses of Saint-Omer, Boulogne and Ypres after the Council of Trent's reform of sees.
In Belgium, most dioceses coincide with a province, but there are a few exceptions.
List of Roman Catholic dioceses in Belgium[]
Ecclesiastical Province of Mechelen-Brussels[]
Diocese | Coat of arms | Territory | Cathedral[4] | Bishop (consecration)[5] | Founded |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antwerp | Province of Antwerp (except for 9 municipalities) | Cathedral of Our Lady (1559-1801; since 1961)[6] |
Johan Bonny (2009)[7] | 1961 (restored)[8] | |
Bruges | Province of West Flanders | St. Salvator's Cathedral (since 1834)[9] |
Sede vacante[10] | 1834 (restored)[11] | |
Hasselt | Province of Limburg | St. Quentin's Cathedral (since 1967)[12] |
Patrick Hoogmartens (2004) | 1967[13] | |
Ghent | Province of East Flanders + Zwijndrecht | St. Bavo's Cathedral (since 1559)[14] |
Lucas Van Looy S.D.B. (2004) | 1559[15] | |
Liège | Province of Liège | St. Paul's Cathedral (since 1794)[16] |
Jean-Pierre Delville (2013)[17] | 4th century (Civitas Tungrorum)[18] | |
Mechelen-Brussels | Mechelen, the Brussels-Capital Region, Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant | St. Rumbold (Mechelen) (Primatial cathedral) St. Michael and Gudula (Brussels) (Co-cathedral) |
Jozef De Kesel | 1559 | |
Namur | Namur and Luxembourg | St Aubin's Cathedral | Rémy Vancottem | 1559 | |
Tournai | Hainaut | Cathedral of Our Lady | Guy Harpigny | 1146 |
External links[]
References[]
- ^ "Belgium - All Dioceses". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Military Ordianariate of Bisdom bij de Krijgsmacht". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels {Malines-Brussels}". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Cathedrals". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "De Bisschoppenconferentie van België". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "De Kathedraal". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Benoît XVI a nommé Mgr Johan Bonny nouvel évêque pour le diocèse d'Anvers (Belgique)". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Bisdom Antwerpen". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Sint-Salvatorskathedraal". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Zetel voor Brugse bisschop sinds 12 december vacant". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Bisdom Brugge". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Sint-Quintinuskerk - Sint-Quintinuskathedraal". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Bisdom Hasselt". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Sint-Baafskathedraal". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Bisdom Gent". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Cathédrale Saint-Paul de Liège". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Jean-Pierre Delville, nouvel évêque de Liège: "C'est une surprise" (vidéos)". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Bisdom Luik". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- Roman Catholic dioceses in Belgium
- Lists of Roman Catholic dioceses by country