Military ordinariate

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A military ordinariate is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church, of the Latin or an Eastern church, responsible for the pastoral care of Catholics serving in the armed forces of a nation.

Until 1986, they were called "military vicariates" and had a status similar to that of apostolic vicariates, which are headed by a bishop who receives his authority by delegation from the Pope. The apostolic constitution Spirituali militum curae [1] of 21 April 1986 raised their status, declaring that the bishop who heads one of them is an "ordinary", holding authority by virtue of his office, and not by delegation from another person in authority. [2] It likened the military vicariates to dioceses. [3] Each of them is headed by a bishop, who may have the personal rank of archbishop. If the bishop is a diocesan, he is likely to delegate the daily functions to an auxiliary bishop or a lower cleric.

Some nations have military ordinariates of the Anglican Communion, Lutheranism, and Eastern Orthodoxy. [4]

The personal ordinariates for Anglicans entering the Catholic Church announced on 20 October 2009 are similar in some ways to the existing military ordinariates. [5] But the jurisdiction of military ordinariates is cumulative to that of the diocesan bishops. [6]

List of Catholic military ordinariates

CountryMilitary OrdinariateNotes
Africa
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Military Ordinariate of Kenya created military vicariate and first military vicar appointment 20 January 1964; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa Military Ordinariate of the South African Defence Force created military vicariate and first military vicar appointment 17 May 1951; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986; it is vested in the Archbishop of Pretoria
Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda Military Ordinariate of Uganda created military vicariate and first military vicar appointment 20 January 1964; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986; vested in a Metropolitan
Americas
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina Military Ordinariate of Argentina created military vicariate 8 July 1957; first military vicar appointment in 1957; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg  Bolivia Military Ordinariate of Bolivia created military vicariate 19 March 1961; first appointment military vicar 26 July 1961; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Military Ordinariate of Brazil created military vicariate and first military vicar appointment 6 November 1950; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Military Ordinariate of Canada first military bishop appointment 20 September 1939; created military vicariate 17 February 1951; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of Chile.svg  Chile Military Ordinariate of Chile created military vicariate 3 May 1910; first military vicar appointment 27 May 1910; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia Military Ordinariate of Colombia created military vicariate 13 October 1949; first military vicar appointment 14 July 1950; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg  Dominican Republic Military Ordinariate of Dominican Republic created military vicariate 23 January 1958; first military vicar appointment 1958; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of Ecuador.svg  Ecuador Military Ordinariate of Ecuador created military vicariate 30 March 1983; first military vicar appointment 5 August 1983; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador Military Ordinariate of El Salvador created military vicariate 25 March 1968; first military vicar appointment 4 November 1968; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of Paraguay.svg  Paraguay Military Ordinariate of Paraguay created military vicariate 20 December 1961; first military vicar appointment 7 December 1965; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of Peru.svg  Peru Military Ordinariate of Peru created military vicariate 15 May 1943; first military vicar appointment 13 January 1945; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of the United States.svg  United States Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA first military bishop appointment 24 November 1917; created military vicariate in November 1939; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986; headed by an archbishop with three auxiliary bishops
Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela Military Ordinariate of Venezuela created military ordinariate 31 October 1995; first military ordinary appointment 11 February 1996
Asia
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia Military Ordinariate of Indonesia created military vicariate 25 December 1949; first military vicar appointment 1949; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines Military Ordinariate of the Philippines created military vicariate 8 December 1950; first military vicar appointment 10 December 1951; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea Military Ordinariate of South Korea created military vicariate and first military vicar appointment 22 November 1983; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Europe
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria Military Ordinariate of Austria first military bishop appointment in 1773; created military vicariate 21 February 1959; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina Military Ordinariate of Bosnia and Herzegovina created military ordinariate 1 February 2011
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Military Ordinariate of Belgium created military vicariate 7 September 1957; first military vicar appointment in 1957; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986; vested in the Archbishop of Mechelen and Primate of Belgium
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia Military Ordinariate of Croatia created military ordinariate and first military ordinary appointment 25 April 1997
Flag of France.svg  France Diocese of the French Armed Forces first military bishop appointment in 1949; created military vicariate 26 July 1952; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Military Ordinariate of Germany first military bishop appointment 22 May 1868; created military vicariate 20 July 1933; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary Military Ordinariate of Hungary first military bishop appointment 23 March 1920; in abeyance from 1947 to 1994; created a military ordinariate 18 April 1994
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Military Ordinariate in Italy created military vicariate 6 March 1925; first military vicar appointment 23 April 1929; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania Military Ordinariate of Lithuania created military ordinariate and first military vicar appointment 25 November 2000
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Military Ordinariate of the Netherlands created military vicariate and first military vicar appointment 16 April 1957; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland Military Ordinariate of Poland created military vicariate and first military vicar appointment 5 February 1919; suspended from 1947 to 1991; elevated to a military ordinariate 1991
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal Military Ordinariate of Portugal created military vicariate 29 May 1966; first military vicar appointment 1966; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia Military Ordinariate of Slovakia created military ordinariate and first military vicar appointment 20 January 2003
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia Military Vicariate of Slovenia created military vicariate and first military vicar appointment 21 September 2000
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Military Archbishopric of Spain first appointment military bishop 4 June 1819; created military vicariate 5 August 1950; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986; headed by an archbishop
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Bishopric of the Forces in Great Britain first military bishop appointment 30 October 1917; created military vicariate 21 November 1953; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Oceania
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Catholic Diocese of the Australian Military Services first military bishop appointment in 1912; created military vicariate 6 March 1969; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Military Ordinariate of New Zealand created military vicariate and first military vicar appointment 28 October 1976; elevated to a military ordinariate 21 July 1986; currently vested in the Metropolitan of Wellington

See also

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