The Diocese of Sapë ( la, Dioecesis Sappensis, sq, Dioqeza e Sapës) is a

Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...

ecclesiastical territory or

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 ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in Northern

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

. It is a

suffragan diocese A suffragan diocese is one of the dioceses other than the metropolitan archdiocese that constitute an ecclesiastical province. It exists in some Christian denominations, in particular the Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria ...

in the

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 ...

of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Shkodër-Pult. The diocese is named after the town of

Sapë Sapë ( la, Sapa, sr, Сапа) was a medieval fortress, located near the village of Nënshat, in the municipality of Vau i Dejës (belonging to Shkodër County, in modern Albania). It is attested since the 13th century, situated in the histor ...

(Sappa), which is located near the Drin, southeast of Lake Scutari. However, the

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 denomination ...

of the diocese is Katedralja e Nënë Terezja, in the town of Vau-Dejës,

Shkodër County Shkodër County ( sq, Qarku i Shkodrës) is a county in northwestern Albania, with the capital in Shkodër. The county spans and had a total population of 197,177 people as of 2021. The county borders on the counties of Lezhë, Kukës and the cou ...

. The former cathedral is Kisha e Shën Gjergjit, in

Nënshat Nënshat is a settlement in the former Hajmel municipality, Shkodër County, northern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Vau i Dejës Vau i Dejës (), English: Deja's Ford, is a town and a municipalit ...

in the same county. The diocese is one of six Catholic jurisdictions in Albania.Catholic Hierarchy: Current Dioceses in Albania
/ref> It is located in the vicinity of

Lake Scutari Lake Skadar ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Скадарско језеро, Skadarsko jezero, ; sq, Liqeni i Shkodrës, ) also called Lake Scutari, Lake Shkodër and Lake Shkodra lies on the border of Albania and Montenegro, and is the largest lake in Southern ...

, at the river basin of Drin.

Statistics and extent

, it pastorally served 70,701 Catholics (34.9% of 202,800 total) on 2,544 km² in 32 parishes with 19 priests (11 diocesan, 8 religious), 1 deacon, 60 lay religious (9 brothers, 51 sisters) and 2 seminarians. The ecclesiastical students of this diocese are educated at the seminary of Scutari. The Diocese of Sappa also includes the

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

monastery at Troshan (Trosciani), where the

Minorites , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

have a "Collegium seraphicum" for their students of philosophy.

History

The bishopric was established in 1062, by Pope Alexander II. During the 11th century, the diocese was located within Dioclea. In the 12th century the territory under jurisdiction of this diocese belonged to the

Serbian Grand Principality Grand Principality of Serbia ( sr, Великожупанска Србија, Velikožupanska Srbija), or Rascia ( sr, Рашка, Raška), was a medieval Serbian state that existed from the second half of the 11th century up until 1217, when it ...

and in period 13th century – mid 14th century it belonged to the

Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Princi ...

succeeded by the

Serbian Empire The Serbian Empire ( sr, / , ) was a medieval Serbian state that emerged from the Kingdom of Serbia. It was established in 1346 by Dušan the Mighty, who significantly expanded the state. Under Dušan's rule, Serbia was the major power in the ...

. In 1491

Pope Innocent VIII Pope Innocent VIII ( la, Innocentius VIII; it, Innocenzo VIII; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death in July 1492. Son of th ...

joined to it the Bishopric of Sardë (Sardoniki), and the united sees were

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...

s of the Archbishopric of Antivari until the end of the eighteenth century. The See of Sardë comprised also the Diocese of Dagnum (Daynum, Dagno, Danj; Daynensis), founded as suffragan of Antivari during the second half of the fourteenth century and united with Sarda by

Pope Martin V Pope Martin V ( la, Martinus V; it, Martino V; January/February 1369 – 20 February 1431), born Otto (or Oddone) Colonna, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 11 November 1417 to his death in February 1431. Hi ...

in 1428. By the Albanian Council in 1703, the Bishop of Sappa obtained some parishes previously belonging to the

Diocese of Pulati The Diocese of Pult (Latin Pulati) ( la, Dioecesis Pulatensis) was a Latin Catholic diocese in northern Albania until abolished in 2005, when it was merged into the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Shkodër-Pult. History The bishopric was founded ...

. * Lost territory on 1890.12.30 to

Territorial Abbacy of Shën Llezhri i Oroshit The Abbey of Orosh (also known as ''Mirditë Abbey'' or ''St. Alexander Oroshi'') was a territorial Benedictine abbey at Orosh in the region of Mirdita, Albania. It was destroyed during the communist era and now rebuilt, dedicated to the martyr ...

The exact number of bishops of Sappa is unknown. The first Bishop of Sappa mentioned is Peter in c. 1291. Notable bishops of Sappa include

Gjergj Bardhi Gjergj Bardhi or Giorgio Bianchi, shortly called Grili, (1575 – 16 October 1646) was an Albanian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Gjergj Bardhi was born in region of Zadrima, modern northern Albania in 1575. His family included severa ...

and Lazër Vladanji later became Archbishops of Bar. Pjetër Zarishi was a secretary to the Bishop of Sappa.

Episcopal ordinaries

;''Bishops of Sapë'' * Pietro = Peter I (11 June 1291 – ????) * Paolo = Paul (ca. 1370–1376?) * Benevenuli = Benvenuto,

Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (also called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the teachin ...

(O.F.M.) (2 July 1376 – ????) * Peter II ( Pjetër Zakaria) = Pietro Zaccaria (1395.05.04 – ) * Nicholas I (1414–????) * Michael (March 1422 – ????) * Peter III (1425–????) * Peter IV (1431–????) * Matthew (Mateo/Mateu Hermollaji) (1433–????) * George I (1440–1451) * Emmanuel (1460–????) * Unknown (1472–????) * Marinus I (Marin Suma) (1473–????) * Gabriel I (1479–????) * Blasius (1489–1490) * Prodokimi (January 1490 – 1500) * Peter V (Pjetër Stërbinja) (1501–1507) * Dominic (Domingo García) (5 July 1508 – ????) * Ambrosius (Ambrosius Montemini) (1512–????) * George III (1513–????) * Didak Fernandez (1514–????) * John I (Juan Buenaventura de Valderrama) (3 September 1518 – 1520) * Alphonse (Alfons Kavaçiri) (1521–????) * ''Diocese ceased to function for 50 years for unknown reasons'' * Theobald (Tossoli Blanco) (1582–????) * George IV (Gjergj Palma) (1583–????) * Nicholas II (

Nikollë Bardhi Nikollë Bardhi (1551–1617) was an Albanian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He played a key role in the Albanian struggle against the Ottoman Empire. Nikollë Bardhi was born in region of Zadrima, Lezhë, modern northern Albania in 1551. ...

) (1594–????) * Simon I (Simon Gjeçi/Jeçi) (1620–1621) * Peter VI (

Pjetër Budi Pjetër Budi (1566 – December 1622), was a prominent Albanian writer and a Catholic bishop. He is known for his first work ''"Doktrina e Kërshtenë"'' (The Christian Doctrine), an Albanian translation of the catechism of Robert Bellarmine, w ...

) (20 July 1621 – ????) * George IV (

) (1623–1635) * Francis (

Frang Bardhi Frang Bardhi (Latin: ''Franciscus Blancus'', it, Francesco Bianchi, 1606–1643) was an Albanian Catholic bishop and writer. Bardhi is best known as an author of the early eras of Albanian literature. He served as Bishop of Sapë (1635–1644 ...

) (1635–????) * George IV (

) (1644–1646) * Simon II ( Simeoni Suma) (1647–1670s) * Stephen ( Shtjefën Gaspari) (1675–????) * Martin (Martin Jelić) (1682–????) * George V ( Gjergj Teodori) (1685–1705) * Egidius ( Egidio Quinto) (21 March 1707 – 8 February 1719) * Marinus II ( Marin Gjini) (1719–????) * John II (

Gjon Gallata Gjon (definite form: ''Gjoni'') is an Albanian male given name, clan, surname and onomastic element. As given name Etymology and history ''Gjon'' as a given name is a form of the English name John. It is the name of the apostle Saint John in ...

) (1720–????) * Basil (Vasil Lindi) (1738–1744) * Lazarus I ( Lazër Vladanji) (1746–1749) * George ( Gjergj Vladanji) (1750–1765) * Nicholas III (25 August 1765 – 1791) * John III (Gjon Logoreci) (2 April 1791 – 21 December 1794) * Anthony (Anton/Ndoc Radovani) (1796–????) * Marcus (Mark Negri) (1808–????) * Alexander (Lekë Suma) (24 December 1825 – ????) * Lazarus I (Lazër Vladanji) (1827 – 15 February 1830) * Peter VII (Pjetër Borçi) (18 December 1829/13 February 1836) – ????) * George VII (Gjergj Labella) (1844 – ????) * Peter VIII (Pietro Severini) (26 November 1843/1 February 1845 – 7 November 1873) * Julius (Giulio Marsili) (December 1873 – 12 August 1890) * Lawrence (Lorenzo Petris de Dolammare) (5 August 1890 – 20 December 1892) * Gabriel II (Gabriel Nev(r)iani) (10 January 1893 – 28 March 1900) * Lazarus II ( Lazër Mjeda) (10 November 1900 – 24 December 1904) * Jacob (Jak(ë) Serreqi) (7 August/29 October 1905 – 14 April/22 April 1910) * George VI (Gjergj Koleci) (21 September 1911 – 2 January 1928) ** Gaspar ( Gaspër Thaçi) (1928 – ca. 13 June 1928) – Apostolic Administrator * Joseph (Zef Gjonali) (13 June/25 July 1928 – 9 October/30 October 1935) * Nicholas IV (

Nikollë Vinçenc Prennushi Nikollë or Kolë is an Albanian male given name, derived from the Greek name Νικόλαος (''Nikolaos''). The definite form is Nikolla. Notable people bearing this name include: *Nikollë Bardhi (1551-1617), Albanian prelate of the Roman Cat ...

) (27 January/6 February 1936 – 26 June 1940) * George VIII (Gjergj Volaj) (25 May/26 June 1940 – February 1947/3 February 1948) * John IV (Gjon Kovaçi) (June 1950 – ????) ** Francis II ( Frano Illia) (25 April 1993 – 1997) – Apostolic Administrator ** Angel (Angelo Massafra) (1997 – ca. 2000) – Apostolic Administrator **

Dodë Gjergji Dodë Gjergji (born 16 January 1963) is a Kosovan prelate of the Catholic Church. Since 2006, he serves as Apostolic Administrator of Prizern. In 2018, when the apostolic administration was elevated to the status of the diocese, he became the f ...

(6 January 2000 – 12 December 2006) – Apostolic Administrator * Lucian ( Lucjan Avgustini) (12 December 2006 – 22 May 2016) *

Bishop-elect In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an Holy Orders, ordained Minister (Catholic Church), minister who holds the fullness of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, sacrament of Holy orders in the Catholic Church, holy orders and is responsible ...

Simon Kulli (2017.06.15 – ...)

References

Sources and external links

GigaCatholic - data for all sections
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sape, Roman Catholic Diocese Roman Catholic dioceses in Albania Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Shkodër-Pult 1062 establishments in Europe Roman Catholic dioceses established in the 11th century

Vau i Dejës Vau i Dejës (), English: Deja's Ford, is a town and a municipality in Shkodër County, northwestern Albania. It was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Bushat, Hajmel, Shllak, Temal, Vau i Dejës, ...

Statistics and extent

History

Episcopal ordinaries

See also

References

Sources and external links