This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations .(July 2017) |
As of June 21, 2024, the Catholic Church in its entirety comprises 3,172 ecclesiastical jurisdictions, including over 652 archdioceses and 2,249 dioceses, as well as apostolic vicariates, apostolic exarchates, apostolic administrations, apostolic prefectures, military ordinariates, personal ordinariates, personal prelatures, territorial prelatures, territorial abbacies and missions sui juris around the world.
In addition to these jurisdictions, there are 2,100 titular sees (bishoprics, archbishoprics and metropolitanates).
This is a structural list to show the relationships of each diocese to one another, grouped by ecclesiastical province, within each episcopal conference, within each continent or other geographical area.
This refers to Catholic dioceses in the world, of all Latin or Eastern churches, as of 5 October 2021 [update] . [1]
Type | Total | Filled | Vacant |
---|---|---|---|
Holy See: St. Peter's Chair in Rome (papacy) | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Ancient Patriarchal Sees of the East (Patriarchates) | 6 | 6 | 0 |
Major Archiepiscopal Sees (Major Archeparchies) | 4 | 4 | 0 |
Latin Patriarchal Sees | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Titular Patriarchal Sees | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Metropolitan Sees (Archdioceses & Eastern Archeparchies) | 562 | 540 | 22 |
Other Archiepiscopal Sees (Latin Archdioceses & Eastern Archeparchies) | 76 | 70 | 6 |
Episcopal Sees (Latin Dioceses & Eastern Eparchies) | 2,248 | 2,033 | 215 |
Titular Metropolitan Sees including Archeparchies | 92 | 14 | 78 |
Titular Archiepiscopal Sees including Archeparchies | 91 | 6 | 85 |
Titular Episcopal Sees including Eparchies | 1,913 | 1,059 | 854 |
Territorial Prelatures | 49 | 36 | 4 |
Territorial Abbacies (often Exempt) | 11 | 9 | 2 |
Military Ordinariates (all Exempt) | 36 | 24 | 12 |
Personal Prelature (exempt) | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Apostolic Vicariates (generally Exempt, mission) | 84 | 75 | 9 |
Apostolic Prefectures (generally Exempt, mission) | 39 | 14 | 25 |
Apostolic Administrations | 8 | 7 | 1 |
Independent Missions (Missions sui iuris) | 8 | 8 | 0 |
Additional types, exclusively for the Eastern Churches, Ordinariate Use and Extraordinary Form
Type | Total | Filled | Vacant |
---|---|---|---|
Metropolitan Sees (Eastern Archeparchies, Sui Juris) | 5 | 5 | 0 |
Apostolic Exarchates (Eastern mission, Exempt) | 13 | 11 | 2 |
Ordinariates for the Faithful of the Eastern Churches (Eastern, Exempt) | 9 | 6 | 3 |
Personal Ordinariates (Western Anglican Patrimony, Anglican/Ordinariate Use, Exempt) | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Patriarchal Exarchates (Eastern missions) | 10 | 8 | 2 |
Archiepiscopal Exarchates (Eastern) | 5 | 4 | 1 |
Territories Dependent on the Patriarch (Eastern) | 5 | 4 | 1 |
Personal Apostolic Administration (unique case, Exempt) | 1 | 1 | 0 |
These (arch)dioceses are exempt from belonging to any ecclesiastical province, hence only the Vatican can exert the authority and coordinating functions normally falling to the Metropolitan Archbishop. They are grouped here geographically. Nevertheless, most belong to an episcopal conference, in which case the more relevant mention is in its geographical region, as exempt dioceses as such do not have specific ties with each other.
There are also 'meetings of episcopal conferences' for the (arch)bishops from countries belonging to:
(The ecclesiastical provinces' corresponding administrative regions are mentioned in parentheses) For overseas French dioceses, see under their continents and Episcopal conferences of Antilles (Central America) and Pacific (Oceania)
Scandinavian Bishops Conference
Note:The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) divides the non-exempt dioceses of the United States (including Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) into fourteen geographical regions—termed "Bishops' Regions" for the Latin Church provinces—and a fifteenth "region" that consists of the Eastern Catholic eparchies. These regions are not the canonical "ecclesiastical regions" described in canon 433 and 434, but are operated by an elected regional chairman. [2] However, the Ordinaries of Personal Ordinariates established under the auspices of Anglicanorum Coetibus are members of their respective Bishops’ Conferences, and the USCCB lists the exempt Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter as a part of Bishops’ Region X.
This is not a geographical region and it does not consist of ecclesiastical provinces. Instead, it consists exclusively of US branches of various, generally Europe- or Asia-based, particular Eastern Catholic Churches. See the Eastern Catholic Churches section (below) for their particular hierarchies.
Ecclesiastical province of the Ruthenian Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh
Ecclesiastical Province of Philadelphia
(Latin and Eastern Churches)
Ecclesiastical province of Paraná
see Africa
No ecclesiastical province, the Latin Church has only the exempt Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Teheran-Isfahan, directly subject to the Holy See
The conference also includes Eastern Catholic bishops of two churches:
covering transcontinental Turkey, which is not comprised in any Latin ecclesiastical province
Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh
includes (italicized) various Eastern Church dioceses, notably Syro-Malankara (an Antiochian Rite) and Syro-Malabar (a Syro-Oriental Rite), either in Eastern provinces of their own particular churches, exempt or (some Syro-Malabar) as suffragans of Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archbishops in their mixed-rite ecclesiastical provinces
Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (P.C.B.C.)
Episcopal Conference of Vietnam (Hội đồng Giám mục Việt Nam), at Hồ Chí Minh City
Ecclesiastical Province of Perth, covering Western Australia
Ecclesiastical Province of Sydney, covering most of New South Wales
Other Eastern eparchies (dioceses)
See under § Episcopal Conference of Australia for the Chaldean Catholic, Melkite and Ukrainian Catholic dioceses competent for both countries, with sees in Sydney, Melbourne.
Exempt, i.e. immediately subject to the Holy See
Ecclesiastical Province of Wellington
Ecclesiastical Province of Agaña
This province covers all of French Polynesia (French overseas collectivity) and the Pitcairn Islands (UK).
Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (S.E.C.A.M.)
Most national churches are also part of an episcopal conference and a regional (subcontinental) group of those, so we list them geographically:
Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (R.E.C.O.W.A.)
The West African subcontinent was previously covered by two language-distinct super-conferences:
Neither country has or is part of any Latin Church province.
However, each country has an Alexandrian rite (like the Egyptian Copts, but in Geez language) Metropolitan particular church 'sui iuris', whose episcopates fully parttake in the joint Episcopal Conference, yet also has its own council of bishops
(?only Latin dioceses) This subcontinent is still covered by two distinct super-conferences:
Ecclesiastical Province of Kananga
Ecclesiastical Province of Kinshasa
Ecclesiastical Province of Kisangani
Ecclesiastical Province of Lubumbashi
Ecclesiastical Province of Mbandaka-Bikoro
Ecclesiastical Province of Kigali, covering Rwanda
Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda
Ecclesiastical Province of Bertoua
Ecclesiastical Province of Douala
Ecclesiastical Province of Garoua
Ecclesiastical Province of Yaoundé
Ecclesiastical Province of Bangui, covering the Central African republic
Exempt, immediately subject to the Holy See
Ecclesiastical Province of N'Djamena
Ecclesiastical Province of Brazzaville
Ecclesiastical Province of Owando
Ecclesiastical Province of Pointe-Noire
Ecclesiastical Province of Malabo
Exempt missionary circonscription, directly subject to the Holy See
Ecclesiastical Province of Libreville, covering the rest of Gabon
Exempt, directly subject to the Holy See
Ecclesiastical Province of Huambo
Ecclesiastical Province of Luanda
Ecclesiastical Province of Lubango
Ecclesiastical Province of Malanje
Ecclesiastical Province of Saurímo
Only exempt dioceses, each for a whole country (or two) without national conference, directly subject to the Holy See
Ecclesiastical Province of Maseru
Ecclesiastical Province of Antananarivo
Ecclesiastical Province of Antsiranana
Ecclesiastical Province of Toamasina
Ecclesiastical Province of Fianarantsoa
Ecclesiastical Province of Toliara
Ecclesiastical Province of Beira
Ecclesiastical Province of Maputo
Ecclesiastical Province of Nampula
Ecclesiastical Province of Windhoek, covering Namibia
covers the dioceses in the republic of South Africa, and two neighbouring countries whose only dioceses belong to its provinces Botswana and Eswatini
Exempt, immediately subject to the Holy See:
Ecclesiastical Province of Bloemfontein
Ecclesiastical Province of Cape Town
Ecclesiastical Province of Durban
Ecclesiastical Province of Johannesburg
Ecclesiastical Province of Pretoria
Ecclesiastical Province of Bulawayo
Ecclesiastical Province of Harare
The 23 Eastern Catholic Churches retain many Orthodox traditions, even in the hierarchic terminology, such as calling dioceses Eparchies and archdioceses Archeparchies.
Their respective diocesan structures overlap with and are partially parallel to each other, to the Latin Church, often 'sharing' a see. In addition, exempt, mixed ordinariates for the Eastern churches without dioceses of their own are established in a few (European and Latin American) countries, directly subject to the Holy See.
They are presented grouped per ancient rite, or liturgical tradition. Following the name of each Church is given the nature of their ecclesiastical polity; for instance, whether it is headed by a Patriarch, a Major Archbishop, a Metropolitan Archbishop, or has no unified structure and is instead composed of jurisdictions each individually subject to the Holy See.
In the Arab World and Africa, the church has dioceses in:
Throughout the rest of the world, the Melkite Catholic church has dioceses and exarchates for its diaspora in:
Furthermore, one of the Ordinaries is appointed Apostolic visitor for the countries without proper ordinariates in Western Europe, while in some countries the Melkite diaspora is served pastorally by an Ordinariate for Eastern Catholic faithful.
An ecclesiastical province sui juris, covering Romania:
Exempt, i.e. Immediately subject to the Holy See
Exempt, immediately subject to the Holy See
Ukrainian provinces and Metropolitan dependencies
Polish province
European dioceses These eparchies are immediately dependent on the Major Archbishop, not part of his province:
Overseas provinces and Metropolitan dependencies
Overseas Eparchies, suffragans of Latin Church Metropolitan Archbishops
A single ecclesiastical province sui juris
The more general adjective "Byzantine" is often used instead of "Ruthenian" in North America.
Although its origins are, as the name suggests, in Ruthenia, (now part of Slovakia and Ukraine) its sole exempt diocese (i.e. immediately subject to the Holy See), covers the Czech Republic while all other dioceses depend from the US-based Metropolitan head of the church:
There is a sole ecclesiastical province, the Metropolitanate sui juris, entirely within the United States –the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh:
A further directly dependent on the Metropolitan:
The Synod is the Council of the Slovak Church
All these are entirely exempt, i.e. each directly subject to the Holy See:
entirely exempt, i.e. each directly subject to the Holy See:
entirely exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See:
A single ecclesiastical province sui juris, covering Ethiopia (Synod styled Council of the Ethiopian Church)
A single ecclesiastical province sui juris, covering all and only Eritrea, which has no Latin Church diocese
Immediately subject to the Patriarch:
Subject to the Synod, partly exempt
The following are subject to the Synod in matters of Liturgical and Particular Law; otherwise they are exempt (i.e. immediately subject to the Holy See and its Roman Congregation for the Eastern Churches):
Suffragan Eparchies in the ecclesiastical provinces of Latin Metropolitan Archbishops
Both eparchies are in South America:
Eparchies suffragan to a Latin Metropolitan
Exempt, directly subject to the Holy See
Patriarchal ecclesiastical province
Patriarchal exarchates
Other dioceses and archdioceses
None of these are Metropolitan; they are directly subject to the Patriarch (but not part of his province).
Nominal Metropolitans
These are without suffragans. Both are in Syria:
Exempt, immediately subject to the Holy See:
Ecclesiastical Province of Trivandrum
Ecclesiastical Province of Tiruvalla
Immediately subject to the Synod of the Syro-Malankara Church
Exempt, directly subject to the Holy See
Patriarchal ecclesiastical province of Cilicia
The province was named after Ancient Cilicia, the part of Asia Minor (modern Turkey's Anatolia) where its see was originally located.
Other eparchies
These eparchies are immediately subject to the Patriarch of Cilicia, but not part of his province.
Ecclesiastical Province of Eranakulam‑Angamaly
Exempt, immediately subject to the Holy See
Ecclesiastical Province of Changanassery
Ecclesiastical Province of Tellicherry
Ecclesiastical Province of Thrissur
Archdiocese of Kottayam
Syro-Malabar eparchies These are suffragans of Roman Catholic (Latin Church) Indian Metropolitan archbishops, hence part of their mixed-rite provinces.
An exarch was the holder of any of various historical offices, some of them being political or military and others being ecclesiastical.
An apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese, or is a diocese, archdiocese, eparchy or similar permanent ordinariate that either has no bishop or archbishop or, in very rare cases, has an incapacitated (arch)bishop. The title also applies to an outgoing (arch)bishop while awaiting for the date of assuming his new position.
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanacherry (Syriac: ܐܦܪܟܝܐ ܪܒܬܐ ܕܫܢܓܢܐܣܐܪܐ, romanized: Afarkaya Rabbta d-Shanganasara; Malayalam: ചങ്ങനാശ്ശേരി അതിഭദ്രാസനം, romanized: Changanassery Athibhadhrasanam) is a Catholic East-Syriac Rite archeparchy with an area of 24,595 km2 comprising the districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, and also Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the largest Catholic dioceses in India in terms of area. Thomas Tharayil is the current Metropolitan Archbishop, serving from 2024.Suffragan eparchies of the Changanassery archeparchy includes Palai, Kanjirappally-Nilackal, and Thuckalay-Thiruvithancode.
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia is a Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church ecclesiastical territory or archeparchy of the Catholic Church in the Eastern United States. Its episcopal see is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Archeparchy of Philadelphia is a metropolitan see with three suffragan eparchies in its ecclesiastical province. The Archeparchy of Philadelphia's territorial jurisdiction includes the District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and the eastern and central portions of Pennsylvania.
The Catholic Church in Syria is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Ujjain is a Syro-Malabar eparchy in India, part of the rite-specific the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.
The Apostolic Vicariate of Beirut is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or apostolic vicariate of the Catholic Church in Lebanon, where Eastern Catholics are far more numerous. In 2010, there were 15,000 baptized. Its current bishop is Cesar Essayan.