Macedonian Greek Catholic Church | |
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Classification | Eastern Catholic |
Polity | Episcopal |
Structure | Eparchy [1] |
Pope | Francis |
Bishop | Kiro Stojanov [2] |
Region | North Macedonia |
Liturgy | Byzantine Rite |
Headquarters | Assumption of Mary Cathedral, Strumica, North Macedonia |
Founder | John Paul II |
Origin | 2001 |
Separated from | Byzantines of Križevci |
Congregations | 7 |
Members | 2,000 |
Ministers | 11 [3] |
Other name(s) | Macedonian Greek Catholic Eparchy of the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed in Strumica-Skopje [1] |
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The Macedonian Greek Catholic Church (Latin : Ecclesiae Graecae Catholico Macedonica; Macedonian : Македонска грчка католичка црква), sometimes called, in reference to its Byzantine Rite, the Macedonian Byzantine Catholic Church is sui juris Eastern Catholic church in full union with the Catholic Church which uses the Macedonian language in the liturgy. The Macedonian Greek Catholic Church comprises a single eparchy, the Macedonian Catholic Eparchy of the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed in Strumica-Skopje. [1]
An Apostolic Exarch was appointed for Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Macedonia as early as 1883 and lasting until 1922/1924 as part of the Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church. [4] After the end of World War I and the foundation of Yugoslavia, the Exarchate was absorbed into the Eparchy of Križevci.
In January 2001, a separate Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia was formed for Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in North Macedonia. It was separated from the Eparchy of Križevci and constituted as immediately subject to the Holy See. [5] On the same day (11 January 2001) the Holy See appointed the Latin Bishop of Skopje as the first Apostolic Exarch of North Macedonia. [6]
As of 2010, the Church's membership was estimated at approximately 15,037 faithful, with one bishop, 7 parishes, 11 priests, and 18 religious sisters. [3]
Year | Members | Priests | Parishes |
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2000 | 10,000 | 10 | 8 |
2001 | 6,320 | 9 | 5 |
2002 | 11,000 | 8 | 5 |
2003 | 11,367 | 8 | 5 [7] |
2004 | 11,367 [8] | 9 | 5 [7] |
2005 | 11,398 | 9 | 5 [8] |
2006 | 11,483 | 8 | 5 [9] |
2007 | 11,491 | 8 | 5 [10] |
2008 | 15,175 | 10 | 6 [11] |
2009 | 15,041 | 11 | 7 [12] |
2010 | 15,037 | 11 | 7 [3] |
Apostolic Exarchs
Eparchs of Strumica
The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are twenty-three Eastern Christian sui iuris (autonomous) particular churches of the Catholic Church, in full communion with the Pope in Rome. Although they are distinct theologically, liturgically, and historically from the Latin Church, they are all in full communion with it and with each other.
The term exarch comes from the Ancient Greek ἔξαρχος, exarchos, and designates holders of various historical offices, some of them being political or military and others being ecclesiastical.
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The Greek Byzantine Catholic Church or the Greek Catholic Church is a sui iuris Eastern Catholic particular church of the Catholic Church that uses the Byzantine liturgical rite in Koine Greek and Modern Greek. Its membership includes inhabitants of Greece and Turkey.
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The Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church, sometimes called, in reference to its Byzantine Rite, the Bulgarian Byzantine Catholic Church is a sui juris particular church in full communion with the Catholic Church and the Pope of Rome.
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Kiro Stojanov is the Roman Catholic Bishop of Skopje and the Eparchial Bishop of the Macedonian Catholic Eparchy of the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed in Strumica-Skopje of the Macedonian Greek Catholic Church.
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The Eparchy of Križevci is a Greek Catholic Church of Croatia and Serbia eparchy of the Catholic Church in Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its current eparch is Milan Stipić. The cathedra is in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, in the episcopal see of Križevci, Croatia.
A particular church is an ecclesiastical community of faithful headed by a bishop, as defined by Catholic canon law and ecclesiology. A liturgical rite depends on the particular church the bishop belongs to. Thus "particular church" refers to an institution, and "liturgical rite" to its ritual practices.
Monsignor Dr. Joakim Herbut 14 February 1928 – 15 April 2005) was a Macedonian Catholic prelate. He was bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Skopje-Prizren from 1969 to 2005 and exarch of the Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarch of Macedonia from 2001 to 2005.
Đura Džudžar is Serbian eparchial bishop of the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Ruski Krstur since 2018. He was previously titular bishop of Acrassus (2001-2018), auxiliary bishop of the Ruthenian Eparchy of Mukachevo (2001-2003), apostolic exarch of Serbia and Montenegro (2003-2013) and Serbia (2013-2018).
The International Bishops' Conference of Saints Cyril and Methodius is the Catholic episcopal conference that includes Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia together in a cross-border conference.
The Macedonian Catholic Eparchy of the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed in Strumica-Skopje is the only eparchy of the Macedonian Greek Catholic Church. It is situated in North Macedonia. The eparchy is an Immediately subject to the Holy See.