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The Catholic dioceses in Great Britain are organised by two separate hierarchies: the
Catholic Church in England and Wales
The Catholic Church in England and Wales ( la, Ecclesia Catholica in Anglia et Cambria; cy, Yr Eglwys Gatholig yng Nghymru a Lloegr) is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See. Its origins date from the 6th ce ...
, and the
Catholic Church in Scotland
The Catholic Church in Scotland overseen by the Scottish Bishops' Conference, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church headed by the Pope. After being firmly established in Scotland for nearly a millennium, the Catholic Church was outlawed fo ...
. Within
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
, the Catholic Church of England and Wales has five
provinces
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
, subdivided into 22
diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...
s, and the Catholic Church of Scotland has two provinces, subdivided into 8 dioceses. The Catholic dioceses in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
are organised together with those in the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
, as the Church in Ireland was not divided when
civil authority in Ireland was partitioned in the 1920s.
A
diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...
, also known as a bishopric, is an administrative unit under the supervision of a
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
. The
Diocese of Westminster Diocese of Westminster may refer to:
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster, since 1850, with seat at Westminster Cathedral
* Diocese of Westminster (Church of England)
The Diocese of Westminster was a short-lived diocese of the Church of Engl ...
is considered the
mother church
Mother church or matrice is a term depicting the Christian Church as a mother in her functions of nourishing and protecting the believer. It may also refer to the primary church of a Christian denomination or diocese, i.e. a cathedral or a metro ...
of English and Welsh Catholics, and although not formally a
primate
Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians (monkeys and apes, the latter including huma ...
, the
archbishop of Westminster
The Archbishop of Westminster heads the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster, in England. The incumbent is the metropolitan of the Province of Westminster, chief metropolitan of England and Wales and, as a matter of custom, is elected presid ...
is usually elected President of the
Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
Overview
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales is the permanent assembly of Catholic Bishops ...
providing a degree of a formal direction for the other English bishops and archbishops.
From the time of the
English Reformation
The English Reformation took place in 16th-century England when the Church of England broke away from the authority of the pope and the Catholic Church. These events were part of the wider European Protestant Reformation, a religious and poli ...
in the 16th century, with Catholicism being declared illegal, there were no Catholic dioceses in England and Wales. In time, there came to be appointed several
apostolic vicars, bishops of titular sees governing not in their own name, as diocesan bishops do, but provisionally in the name of the
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
. However, with the passing of the
Catholic Relief Act 1829
The Catholic Relief Act 1829, also known as the Catholic Emancipation Act 1829, was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1829. It was the culmination of the process of Catholic emancipation throughout the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
, legalising the practice of the Catholic faith again,
Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
re-established the Catholic Church diocesan hierarchy on 29 September 1850 by issuing the bull ''
Universalis Ecclesiae
was a papal bull of 29 September 1850 by which Pope Pius IX recreated the Roman Catholic diocesan hierarchy in England, which had been extinguished with the death of the last Marian bishop in the reign of Elizabeth I. New names were given to ...
''. The Hierarchy in Scotland was restored in 1878.
Three Catholic dioceses, those of Leeds, Liverpool, and Portsmouth, share their territorial name with
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
dioceses, the
, the
Anglican diocese of Liverpool
The Diocese of Liverpool is a Church of England diocese based in Liverpool, covering Merseyside north of the River Mersey, part of West Lancashire, part of Wigan in Greater Manchester, Widnes and part of Warrington and in Cheshire (it was origi ...
, and the
Anglican Diocese of Portsmouth
The Diocese of Portsmouth is an administrative division of the Church of England Province of Canterbury in England. The diocese covers south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The see is based in the City of Portsmouth in Hampshire, where t ...
respectively. However, in these cases the dioceses cover differing areas.
The
Catholic Church in Scotland
The Catholic Church in Scotland overseen by the Scottish Bishops' Conference, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church headed by the Pope. After being firmly established in Scotland for nearly a millennium, the Catholic Church was outlawed fo ...
comprises two Latin
ecclesiastical province
An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction
Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...
s each headed by a
Metropolitan archbishop
Metropolitan may refer to:
* Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories
* Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England
* Metropolitan county, a typ ...
. The provinces in turn are subdivided into 6
diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...
s and 2
archdiocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
s, each headed by a
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
or an
archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
, respectively.
There is an
Apostolic Nunciature to Great Britain as papal diplomatic representation (embassy-level) to the British authorities (UK)
Current Latin provinces and sees in Great Britain
Episcopal Conference of England and Wales
Ecclesiastical province of Birmingham (founded 1911)
Ecclesiastical province of Cardiff (founded 1916)
Ecclesiastical province of Liverpool (founded 1911)
Ecclesiastical province of Southwark (founded 1965)
Ecclesiastical province of Westminster (founded 1850)
Episcopal conference of Scotland
Ecclesiastical province of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh
* Metropolitan
Archdiocese of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh
The Archdiocese of Saint Andrews & Edinburgh ( la, Archidioecesis Sancti Andreae et Edimburgensis) is an archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Scotland. It is the metropolitan see of the province of Saint Andrews and Edinbu ...
(cathedral
St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral, Edinburgh; established 1878)
**
Diocese of Aberdeen
Diocese of Aberdeen was one of the 13 (14, after 1633) dioceses of the Scottish church, before the abolition of the episcopacy in 1689.
Early history
A see was founded in 1063 at Mortlach by Blessed Beyn. The earliest mention of the See of ...
(cathedral
St Mary's Cathedral, Aberdeen
The Cathedral Church of St Mary of the Assumption, usually known as St Mary's Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. It is the home of the see of the Bishop of Aberdeen, who is the ordinary of ...
; established 1878)
**
Diocese of Argyll and the Isles (cathedral
St Columba's Cathedral, Oban; established 1878; originally in the Province of Glasgow)
**
Diocese of Dunkeld
The Diocese of Dunkeld was one of the 13 historical dioceses of Scotland preceding the abolition of Episcopacy in 1689.
History
It is thought that the diocese was constituted as far back as the middle of the ninth century. The first occupant ...
(cathedral
St Andrew's Cathedral, Dundee
The Cathedral Church of St Andrew is a Catholic cathedral in the West End of the city of Dundee, Scotland. The cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Dunkeld and mother church of the Diocese of Dunkeld within the Province of St Andrews and Ed ...
; established 1878)
**
Diocese of Galloway
The Diocese of Galloway was one of the thirteen (after 1633 fourteen) dioceses of the pre-1689 Scottish Church. The Diocese was led by the Bishop of Galloway and was centred on Whithorn Cathedral.
In the Middle Ages, there was only one archd ...
(cathedral
St Margaret's Cathedral, Ayr; established 1878; originally in the Province of Glasgow)
Ecclesiastical province of Glasgow
* Metropolitan
Archdiocese of Glasgow
The Archdiocese of Glasgow was one of the thirteen (after 1633 fourteen) dioceses of the Scottish church. It was the second largest diocese in the Kingdom of Scotland, including Clydesdale, Teviotdale, parts of Tweeddale, Liddesdale, Annanda ...
(cathedral
St Andrew's Cathedral, Glasgow
The Metropolitan Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew or Glasgow Metropolitan Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Cathedral in the city centre of Glasgow, Scotland. It is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Glasgow. The cathedral, whic ...
; established 1878)
**
Diocese of Motherwell
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Motherwell ( la, Dioecesis Matrisfontis, links=no) is an ecclesiastical diocese of the Catholic Church in Scotland.
The diocese, which was erected on 25 May 1947 by Pope Pius XII from the Archdiocese of Glasgow, a ...
(cathedral
Cathedral of Our Lady of Good Aid, Motherwell; established 1947)
**
Diocese of Paisley
The Diocese of Paisley ( la, Dioecesis Pasletana) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Scotland. Erected on 25 May 1947 from the Archdiocese of Glasgow, the diocese covers the historic county o ...
(cathedral
St Mirin's Cathedral, Paisley; established 1947)
Eastern Catholic and other exempt
* The
Bishopric of the Forces in Great Britain
The Bishopric of the Forces (in Great Britain) is a Latin Church military ordinariate of the Catholic Church which provides chaplains to the British Armed Forces based in the United Kingdom and their overseas postings.
It is directly exemp ...
(1917) is the
Military Ordinariate
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 v ...
for all British armed forces, even outside the UK
*The
Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Great Britain (2016)
* The
Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Holy Family of London
The Eparchy of the Holy Family of London ( uk, Єпархія Пресвятої Родини у Лондоні; la, Eparchia Sanctae Familiae Londiniensis) is the only Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church ecclesiastical territory or eparchy of the ...
(1957)
The
Eastern Catholic Churches
The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous (''sui iuris'') particular churches of th ...
are autonomous,
self-governing
__NOTOC__
Self-governance, self-government, or self-rule is the ability of a person or group to exercise all necessary functions of regulation without intervention from an external authority. It may refer to personal conduct or to any form of ...
particular churches in full communion with the
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
.
* The
Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham
The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in England and Wales is a personal ordinariate in the Latin Church of the Catholic Church immediately exempt, being directly subject to the Holy See. It is within the territory of the Catholic B ...
(2011) is one of three
Personal Ordinariate
A personal ordinariate for former Anglicans, shortened as personal ordinariate or Anglican ordinariate,"...the liturgies approved for the Anglican ordinariates..." "Bishop Stephen Lopes of the Anglican Ordinariate of the Chair of St Peter..." ...
s. The ordinariates were established in order to enable "groups of Anglicans"
[Note: The Latin title of ''Anglicanorum Coetibus'' means "Groups of Anglicans".] to join the Catholic Church while preserving elements of their liturgical and spiritual patrimony. Personal Ordinariates are headed by
Ordinaries.
Defunct jurisdictions
*
Archpriest
The ecclesiastical title of archpriest or archpresbyter belongs to certain priests with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches and may be somewhat analogous ...
of England from 1598 to 1621.
*
Apostolic Vicariate of England from 1623 to 1688 when it was divided into four districts that lasted until a general redivision in 1840:
:*
Apostolic Vicariate of the London District
The Apostolic Vicariate of the London District was an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales. It was led by a vicar apostolic who was a titular bishop. The apostolic vicariate was created in 1688 and was diss ...
until 1850
:*
Apostolic Vicariate of the Western District until 1850
:*
Apostolic Vicariate of the Midland District
The Apostolic Vicariate of the Midland District (later of the Central District) was an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales. It was led by an apostolic vicar (or vicar apostolic) who was a titular bishop. Th ...
until 1840
:*
Apostolic Vicariate of the Northern District until 1850
::*
Apostolic Vicariate of the Welsh District The Roman Catholic Diocese of Newport (and Menevia) was the Latin Catholic precursor (1840-1916) in Wales and southwest England of the present Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff, with see in Newport, Wales, and was revived as Latin titular see.
...
created from Western District in 1840 until 1850
::*
Apostolic Vicariate of the Central District created from Midland District in 1840 until 1850
::*
Apostolic Vicariate of the Eastern District created from Midland District in 1840 until 1850
::*
Apostolic Vicariate of the Lancashire District created from the Northern District in 1840 until 1850
::*
Apostolic Vicariate of the Yorkshire District
Yorkshire ( ) is a historic county in Northern England and the largest by area size in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have been undertaken over time by its subdivisions, whi ...
created from the Northern District in 1840 until 1850
*
Diocese of Beverley
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Beverley is an historical diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in England. It took its name after the town of Beverley in the East Riding of Yorkshire, although the episcopal see was located in the city of York. T ...
, from 1850 to 1878, replaced by the
Diocese of Leeds and the
Diocese of Middlesbrough
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough is a Latin Rite Roman Catholic diocese based in Middlesbrough, England and is part of the province of Liverpool. It was founded on 20 December 1878, with the splitting of the Diocese of Beverley which ...
.
*
Diocese of Newport and Menevia The Roman Catholic Diocese of Newport (and Menevia) was the Latin Catholic precursor (1840-1916) in Wales and southwest England of the present Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff, with see in Newport, Wales, and was revived as Latin titular see.
...
, from 1850 to 1895, replaced by the Diocese of Newport, which became the
Archdiocese of Cardiff
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff ( la, Archidioecesis Cardiffensis; cy, Archesgobaeth Caerdydd) is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church which covers the south-east portion of Wales and the county of Herefordshire in ...
in 1916, and the
Apostolic Vicariate of Wales
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Wales. It is one of two suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cardiff and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cardiff.
History
On 12 May 1898, the Apost ...
, which became the
Diocese of Menevia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Wales. It is one of two suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cardiff and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cardiff.
History
On 12 May 1898, the Apos ...
in 1898.
*
Prefecture Apostolic
An apostolic prefect or prefect apostolic is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a 'pre-diocesan' missionary jurisdiction where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese. Although it ...
of Scotland from 1653 to 1694.
*
Apostolic Vicariate of Scotland from 1694 to 1727 when it split into two districts that lasted until 1827:
:*
Apostolic Vicariate of the Lowland District
The Archdiocese of Saint Andrews & Edinburgh ( la, Archidioecesis Sancti Andreae et Edimburgensis) is an archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Scotland. It is the metropolitan see of the ecclesiastical province, province of S ...
:*
Apostolic Vicariate of the Highland District
Apostolic may refer to:
The Apostles
An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission:
*The Apostles in the New Testament, Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles
*Apostolic succession, the doctrine ...
::*
Apostolic Vicariate of the Eastern District from 1827 to 1878 when it became the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh.
::*
Apostolic Vicariate of the Western District from 1827 to 1878 when it became the Archdiocese of Glasgow
::*
Apostolic Vicariate of the Northern District from 1827 to 1878 when it became the Diocese of Aberdeen.
See also
*
List of Catholic dioceses (structured view)
As of October 5, 2021, the Catholic Church in its entirety comprises 3,171 ecclesiastical jurisdictions, including over 652 archdioceses and 2,248 dioceses, as well as apostolic vicariates, apostolic exarchates, apostolic administrations, apost ...
(including archdioceses)
*
List of Catholic dioceses (alphabetical)
This is a growing list of territorial Catholic dioceses and ordinariates in communion with the Holy See. There are approximately 3,000 actual (i.e., non-titular) dioceses in the Catholic Church (including the eparchies of the Eastern Catholic Ch ...
(including archdioceses)
*
List of Catholic archdioceses
The following is a current list of Catholic archdioceses ordered by continent and country (for the Latin Church) and by liturgical rite (for the Eastern Catholic Churches).
Many smaller countries, as well as large countries with small Catholic po ...
(by country and continent)
*
Apostolic Nunciature to Great Britain
The Apostolic Nunciature to Great Britain is a diplomatic office of the Holy See in Great Britain. It is headed by the Apostolic Nuncio who has the rank of an ambassador. The parties agreed to exchange representatives at the ambassadorial level ...
*
Catholic Church in England and Wales
The Catholic Church in England and Wales ( la, Ecclesia Catholica in Anglia et Cambria; cy, Yr Eglwys Gatholig yng Nghymru a Lloegr) is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See. Its origins date from the 6th ce ...
*
List of Catholic churches in the United Kingdom
A list of Catholic churches in the United Kingdom, notable current and former individual church buildings and congregations and administration. These churches are listed buildings or have been recognised for their historical importance, or are c ...
; Scotland
*
Catholic Church in Scotland
The Catholic Church in Scotland overseen by the Scottish Bishops' Conference, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church headed by the Pope. After being firmly established in Scotland for nearly a millennium, the Catholic Church was outlawed fo ...
*
Bishops' Conference of Scotland
The Bishops' Conference of Scotland (BCOS), under the trust of the Catholic National Endowment Trust, and based in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, is an episcopal conference for archbishops and bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland. The ...
*
:Roman Catholic cathedrals in Scotland
References
Sources and external links
GCatholic.org - England and Wales; Scotland
{{Catholic dioceses in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is Eng ...
Roman Catholic ecclesiastical provinces in the United Kingdom
Catholic dioceses