Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Katowice

Metropolitan Archdiocese of Katowice

*Archidioecesis Metropolitae Katovicensis*

Archidiecezja Metropolita Katowicka
Metropolitan Archdiocese of Katowice; Archidioecesis Metropolitae Katovicensis; Archidiecezja Metropolita Katowicka
	Cathedral of Christ the King, Katowice
Location
Country	Poland
Ecclesiastical province	Katowice
Statistics
Area	2,400 km2 (930 sq mi)
Population; - Total; - Catholics	(as of 2021); 1,461,000; 1,390,000 (95.1%)
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Rite	Latin Rite
Cathedral	Cathedral of Christ the King, Katowice
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Metropolitan Archbishop	vacant
Auxiliary Bishops	Marek Szkudło ; Adam Wodarczyk ; Grzegorz Olszowski
Bishops emeritus	Damian Zimoń ; Wiktor Skworc ;
Website
	Website of the Archdiocese

Last updated March 13, 2025

The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Katowice (Latin : Archidioecesis Metropolitae Katovicensis) is the Latin Metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Poland. It is an ecclesiastical province in Western Poland.

Special churches

Its cathedral archiepiscopal see is Archikatedra Chrystusa Króla, dedicated to Christ the King, in the city of Katowice, Śląskie.

It has several Minor basilicas :

Bazylika św. Ludwika Króla i Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Marii Panny, also in Katowice
Bazylika Narodzenia Najświętszej Maryi Panny (Sanktuarium Matki Bożej Uśmiechniętej), in Pszów
Bazylika NMP i św. Bartłomieja Apostoła (Sanktuarium Matki Sprawiedliwości i Miłości Społecznej), in Piekary Śląskie
Bazylika św. Antoniego Padewskiego, in Rybnik.

Province

Its ecclesiastical province comprises the Metropolitan's own Archdiocese and these suffragan bishoprics:

History

On 7 November 1922, the Holy See disentangled the Roman Catholic parishes in the Polish Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship, territorially comprising the East of formerly Austrian Cieszyn Silesia (since 1918) and formerly German East Upper Silesia (since 1922) from the then Diocese of Breslau as a permanent Apostolic Administration of Upper Silesia on 17 December the same year.

On 28 October 1925, Pope Pius XI elevated that apostolic administration and renamed it after its see to Diocese of Katowice, then as suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kraków, by the papal Bull Vixdum Poloniae Unitas.
In 1947, it lost territory to establish the Apostolic Administration of Český Těšín.
It enjoyed Papal visits from the Polish Pope John Paul II in June 1983 and June 1999.
It was promoted on March 25, 1992, as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Katowice.

Statistics

As of 2021, it pastorally served 1,390,000 Catholics (95.1% of 1,461,000 total) on 2,400 km² in 322 parishes and 6 missions with 1,066 priests (938 diocesan, 128 religious), 5 deacons, 1,023 lay religious (193 brothers, 830 sisters) and 49 seminarians.

Episcopal ordinaries

Apostolic Administrator of Upper Silesia

August Hlond, Salesians (S.D.B.) (1922.11.07 – 1925.10.28)

Suffragan Bishops of Katowice

August Hlond (1925.12.14 – 1926.06.24), also President of Episcopal Conference of Poland (1926 – 1948.10.22), later Metropolitan Archbishop of Gniezno–Poznan (Poland) (1926.06.24 – 1948.10.22), created Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria della Pace (1927.12.22 – 1948.10.22), Founder of the Society of Christ for Polish Immigrants (1932.09.08), Metropolitan Archbishop of Warszawa (Poland) (1946.06.13 – death 1948.10.22)
Arkadiusz Lisiecki (1926.06.24 – death 1930.05.13)
Stanisław Adamski (1930.09.02 – death 1967.11.12)
- Auxiliary Bishop: Teofilo Bromboszcz (1934.03.24 – death 1937.01.12), Titular Bishop of Candyba (1934.03.24 – 1937.01.12)
- Auxiliary Bishop: Juliusz Bieniek (1937.03.13 – death 1978.01.17), Titular Bishop of Dascylium (1937.03.13 – 1978.01.17)
- Auxiliary Bishop: Józef Kurpas (1962.11.23 – death 1992.05.19)Titular Bishop of Orisa (1962.11.23 – 1992.05.19)
Herbert Bednorz (1967.11.12 – retired 1983), succeeding as former Coadjutor Bishop of Katowice (1950.05.04 – 1967.11.12) & Titular Bishop of Bulla regia (1950.05.04 – 1967.11.12)
- Auxiliary Bishop: Czesław Domin (1970.06.06 – 1992.02.01), Titular Bishop of Dagnum (1970.06.06 – 1992.02.01), later Bishop of Koszalin–Kołobrzeg (Poland) (1992.02.01 – death 1996.03.15)
- Auxiliary Bishop: Janusz Edmund Zimniak (1980.09.25 – 1992.03.25), Titular Bishop of Polignano (1980.09.25 – ...), next as Auxiliary Bishop of Bielsko–Żywiec (Poland) (1992.03.25 – retired 2010.01.16)
Damian Zimoń (1985.06.03 – see promotion 1992.03.25 see below)
- Auxiliary Bishop: Gerard Bernacki (1988.03.18 – retired 2012.01.31), Titular Bishop of Sala Consilina (1988.03.18 – 2018.12.21))

Metropolitan Archbishops of Katowice

Damian Zimoń (see above 1992.03.25 – retired 2011.10.29)
- Auxiliary Bishop: Piotr Libera (1996.11.23 – 2007.05.02), Titular Bishop of Centuria (1996.11.23 – 2007.05.02), also Secretary General of Episcopal Conference of Poland (1998 – 2007); later Bishop of Płock (Poland) (2007.05.02 – 2022.06.04)
- Auxiliary Bishop: Stefan Cichy (1998.08.26 – 2005.03.19), Titular Bishop of Bonusta (1998.08.26 – 2005.03.19), later Bishop of Legnica (Poland) (2005.03.19 – 2014.04.16)
- Auxiliary Bishop: Józef Piotr Kupny (2005.12.21 – 2013.05.18), Titular Bishop of Vanariona (2005.12.21 – 2013.05.18), later Metropolitan Archbishop of Wrocław (Breslau, Poland) (2013.05.18 – ...)
Wiktor Skworc (2011.10.29 – 31 May 2023),^[1]

formerly Bishop of Tarnów (Poland) (1997.12.13 – 2011.10.29)

- Auxiliary Bishop: Marek Szkudło (2014.12.13 – ...), Titular Bishop of Wigry (2014.12.13 – ...)
- Auxiliary Bishop: Adam Wodarczyk (2014.12.13 – ...), Titular Bishop of Pomezania (2014.12.13 – ...)
- Auxiliary Bishop: Grzegorz Olszowski (2018.06.13 – ...), Titular Bishop of Rhoga (2018.06.13 – ...)
Adrian Joseph Galbas (31 May 2023^[1] – 4 November 2024)

formerly Auxillary Bishop of Elk (2019.12.12-2021.12.04), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop on 4 December 2021, and succeeded the see on 31 May 2023. Transferred to Archdiocese of Warsaw on 4 November 2024.

Sources and external links

References

1 2 "Resignations and Appointments, 31.05.2023" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.

50°15′02″N19°01′08″E / 50.25056°N 19.01889°E / 50.25056; 19.01889

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[galbas-1] 1 2 "Resignations and Appointments, 31.05.2023" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.

[1]

v t e Latin and Eastern Catholic dioceses in Poland
Province of Białystok	Archdiocese of Białystok Diocese of Drohiczyn Diocese of Łomża
Province of Częstochowa	Archdiocese of Częstochowa Diocese of Radom Diocese of Sosnowiec
Province of Gdańsk	Archdiocese of Gdańsk Diocese of Pelplin Diocese of Toruń
Province of Gniezno	Archdiocese of Gniezno Diocese of Bydgoszcz Diocese of Włocławek
Province of Katowice	Archdiocese of Katowice Diocese of Gliwice Diocese of Opole
Province of Kraków	Archdiocese of Kraków Diocese of Bielsko–Żywiec Diocese of Kielce Diocese of Tarnów
Province of Łódź	Archdiocese of Łódź Diocese of Łowicz
Province of Lublin	Archdiocese of Lublin Diocese of Sandomierz Diocese of Siedlce
Province of Poznań	Archdiocese of Poznań Diocese of Kalisz
Province of Przemyśl	Archdiocese of Przemyśl Diocese of Rzeszów Diocese of Zamość–Lubaczów
Province of Szczecin-Kamień	Archdiocese of Szczecin–Kamień Diocese of Koszalin–Kołobrzeg Diocese of Zielona Góra–Gorzów
Province of Warmia	Archdiocese of Warmia Diocese of Elbląg Diocese of Ełk
Province of Warszawa	Archdiocese of Warszawa Diocese of Płock Diocese of Warszawa-Praga
Province of Wrocław	Archdiocese of Wrocław Diocese of Legnica Diocese of Świdnica
Sui iuris jurisdictions	Military Ordinariate of Poland Ordinariate for Eastern Catholics in Poland (all non-Latin Catholic rites, except Ukrainians)
Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church	Archeparchy of Przemyśl–Warsaw Eparchy of Olsztyn–Gdańsk Eparchy of Wrocław–Koszalin
See also	List of Catholic dioceses in Poland
Catholicismportal