The Archdiocese of Katowice ( la, Katovicen(sis)) is the Latin Metropolitan
archdiocese of an ecclesiastical province in Western
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
.
Special churches
Its
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...
archiepiscopal see is Archikatedra Chrystusa Króla, dedicated to
Christ the King
Christ the King is a title of Jesus in Christianity referring to the idea of the Kingdom of God where the Christ is described as seated at the right hand of God.
Many Christian denominations consider the kingly office of Christ to be one of ...
, in the city of
Katowice,
ÅšlÄ…skie.
It has several
Minor basilica
In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...
s :
* 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 ÅšlÄ…skie
Piekary Śląskie () (german: Deutsch Piekar; szl, Piekary) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The north district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union – metropolis with the population of 2 million. Located in the Silesia ...
* Bazylika św. Antoniego Padewskiego, in
Rybnik
Rybnik (Polish pronunciation: ; szl, Rybńik) is a city in southern Poland, in the Silesian Voivodeship, around 38 km (24 mi) southwest of Katowice, the region's capital, and around 19 km (11 miles) from the Czech border. It is ...
.
Province
Its
ecclesiastical province
An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian Churches with traditional hierarchical structure, including Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity. In general, an ecclesiastical province consists of seve ...
comprises the Metropolitan's own Archdiocese and these
Suffragan bishoprics :
*
Roman Catholic Diocese of Gliwice
The Diocese of Gliwice ( la, Glivicen(sis)) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Poland. Its episcopal see is located in the city of Gliwice. The Diocese of Gliwice is a suffragan diocese in the eccles ...
*
Roman Catholic Diocese of Opole
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Opole ( la, Opoliensis) is a diocese located in the city of Opole in the Ecclesiastical province of Katowice in Poland.
History
* 1945: Established as Apostolic Administration of Opole
* 28 June 1972: Established ...
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
Cieszyn Silesia, TěšÃn Silesia or Teschen Silesia ( pl, ÅšlÄ…sk CieszyÅ„ski ; cs, TěšÃnské Slezsko or ; german: Teschener Schlesien or ) is a historical region in south-eastern Silesia, centered on the towns of Cieszyn and ÄŒeský TÄ ...
(since 1918) and formerly German
East Upper Silesia East Upper Silesia (german: Ostoberschlesien) is the easternmost extremity of Silesia, the eastern part of the Upper Silesian region around the city of Katowice (german: Kattowitz).Isabel Heinemann, ''"Rasse, Siedlung, deutsches Blut": das Rasse- u ...
(since 1922) from the then
Diocese of Breslau as a permanent
Apostolic Administration
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 (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...
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
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 ...
, by the
papal Bull ''Vixdum Poloniae Unitas''.
* In 1947, it lost territory to establish the
Apostolic Administration of ÄŒeský TěšÃn.
* It enjoyed Papal visits from the Polish
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
in June 1983 and June 1999.
* It was promoted on March 25, 1992 as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Katowice.
Statistics
As per 2014, it pastorally served 1,448,500 Catholics (97.4% of 1,487,500 total) on 2,400 km² in 319 parishes and 6 missions with 1,088 priests (963 diocesan, 125 religious), 1 deacon, 1,005 lay religious (189 brothers, 816 sisters) and 117 seminarians.
Episcopal ordinaries
''(all
Latin Rite
Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church '' sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language once ...
)
;''Apostolic Administrator of Upper Silesia''
* August Hlond,
Salesians
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, formation =
, founder = John Bosco
, founding_location = Valdocco, Turi ...
(S.D.B.) (1922.11.07 – 1925.10.28 ''see below'')
;''Suffragan Bishops of Katowice''
*
August Hlond
August Hlond (July 5, 1881 – October 22, 1948) was a Polish cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, who was Archbishop of PoznaÅ„ and Gniezno in 1926 and Primate of Poland. He was then appointed as the Archbishop of Gniezno and Warsaw in 194 ...
(''see above'' 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
A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...
of
Santa Maria della Pace
Santa Maria della Pace is a church in Rome, central Italy, not far from Piazza Navona. The building lies in rione Ponte.
History
The current building was built on the foundations of the pre-existing church of Sant'Andrea de Aquarizariis in 148 ...
(1927.12.22 – 1948.10.22), Founder of
Society of Christ for Polish Immigrants
A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societi ...
(1932.09.08), Metropolitan Archbishop of
Warszawa
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
(Poland) (1946.06.13 – death 1948.10.22)
*
Arkadiusz Lisiecki (1926.06.24 – death 1930.05.13)
*
Stanisław Adamski
Stanisław Adamski (12 April 1875 – 12 November 1967) was a Polish bishop, politician, and social and political activist of the Union of Catholic Societies of Polish Workers (Związek Katolickich Towarzystw Robotników Polskich), founder and edit ...
(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
Orishas (singular: orisha) are spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa and several religions of the African diaspora that derive from it, such as Cuban, Dominican and Puerto Rican SanterÃa and Brazilian Candomblé. Th ...
(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
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.
By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox ...
of
Bulla regia
Bulla Regia was a Berber, Punic, and Roman town near present-day Jendouba, Tunisia. Its surviving ruins and archaeological site are noted for their Hadrianic-era semi-subterranean housing, a protection from the fierce heat and effects of the sun ...
(1950.05.04 – 1967.11.12)
** Auxiliary Bishop: Czesław Domin (1970.06.06 – 1992.02.01), Titular Bishop of
Dagnum
Dagnum ( sq, Danjë or Dejë, sr, Danj, it, Dagno) was a town, bishopric and important medieval fortress located on the territory of present-day Albania, which has been under Serbian, Venetian and Ottoman control and remains a Latin Catholic t ...
(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
Polignano a Mare (; Barese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy, located on the Adriatic Sea. The local economy mostly depends on tourism, agriculture and fishing.
History
The area has been settled ...
(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
Sala Consilina is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Salerno in the Campania region of southwestern Italy. With 12,635 inhabitants it is the most populated town of Vallo di Diano.
History
The ancient village of Consilinum was built during ...
(1988.03.18 – ...)
;''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
PÅ‚ock
PÅ‚ock (pronounced ) is a city in central Poland, on the Vistula river, in the Masovian Voivodeship. According to the data provided by GUS on 31 December 2021, there were 116,962 inhabitants in the city. Its full ceremonial name, according to th ...
(Poland) (2007.05.02 – ...)
** Auxiliary Bishop: Stefan Cichy (1998.08.26 – 2005.03.19), Titular Bishop of
Bonusta Bonusta was a town, not far from Carthage, in the Roman province of Africa Proconsularis. No trace of it has been identified.Stefano Antonio Morcelli''Africa christiana'' Volume I, Brescia 1816, pp. 105–106
Bishop Rufinianus
At the Confe ...
(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
Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...
(Breslau, Poland) (2013.05.18 – ...)
*
Wiktor Skworc (2011.10.29 – ...), formerly Bishop of
Tarnów
Tarnów () is a city in southeastern Poland with 105,922 inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of 269,000 inhabitants. The city is situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999. From 1975 to 1998, it was the capital of the Tarnà ...
(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 – ...).
See also
*
List of Catholic dioceses in Poland
The Roman Catholic Church in Poland comprises mainly sixteen Latin ecclesiastical provinces, each headed by a Metropolitan, whose Archdioceses have a total of 28 suffragan Dioceses, each headed by a bishop. They are all members of the Episcopal Co ...
*
Roman Catholicism in Poland
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Sources and external links
GCatholic.org, with incumbent biography links - data for all sections Diocese website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Katowice, Roman Catholic Archdiocese
Roman Catholic dioceses in Poland
Religious organizations established in 1925
Religion is usually defined as a social system, social-cultural system of designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morality, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sacred site, sanctified places, prophecy, prophecie ...
Organisations based in Katowice