The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tiranë–Durrës ( la, Archidioecesis Tiranensis-Dyrracena) is a Latin Metropolitan archdiocese in

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 ...

."Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tiranë–Durrës"
''GCatholic.org''. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved December 4, 2015
''

Catholic-Hierarchy.org ''Catholic-Hierarchy.org'' is an online database of bishops and dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Catholic Churches. The website is not officially sanctioned by the Church. It is run as a private project by David M. Cheney in ...

''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016 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 ...

episcopal see is Katedrale e Shën Palit, in the city of

Tiranë Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

, where also stands the former Cathedral: Kisha e Zemrës së Shenjtë të Jezusit Kisha e Zemrës së Shenjtë të Jezusit.

History

* In 1205, during the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade, coastal regions of Byzantine

Theme of Dyrrhachium The Theme of Dyrrhachium or Dyrrhachion ( el, θέμα Δυρραχίου) was a Byzantine military-civilian province ( theme), covering the Adriatic coast of modern Albania, and some coastal regions of modern Montenegro. It was established in the ...

(including Durrës) were conquered by the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

, and organized as the Duchy of Durazzo. * In 1209, Metropolitan Archdiocese of Durrës (

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 ...

) was established by pope

Innocent III Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 J ...

. * Demoted circa 1400? as Archdiocese of Durrës * In 1640, it gained territories from the suppressed Diocese of Arbano and from the Diocese of Stephaniacum * On 10 March 1926 it lost territory to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Corfu–Zakynthos–Kefalonia (in Ionian insular Greece) * On 11 November 1939 it lost some territory (southern regions) to the

Apostolic Administration of Southern Albania The Apostolic Administration of Southern Albania ( sq, Administratura Apostolike e Shqiperisë së Jugut, la, Administratio Apostolica Albaniae Meridionalis, it, Albania Meridionale) is an apostolic administration of the Catholic Church in Alb ...

. * Renamed on 23 December 1992 to Archdiocese of Durrës–Tiranë * On 7 December 1996, it lost territory to a suffragan, the

Rrëshen Rrëshen ( sq-definite, Rrësheni) is a small town and a former municipality in Lezhë County, in northern Albania. History At the 2015 local government reform, Rrëshen became a subdivision and the seat of the municipality Mirditë. It was the ...

* 25 January 2005: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tiranë–Durrës *

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

visited the Diocese in September 2014.

Province

Initial

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 ...

, centered in Durrës, was formed in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade, when coastal regions of Byzantine

were conquered by the

, and organized as the Duchy of Durazzo. In 1209, pope

confirmed Manfredo as Archbishop of Durrës (Latin Rite), with jurisdiction over the region, thus establishing the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Province of Durrës, that was later reorganized. Modern

was created in 2005, and includes the Metropolitan's own Archdiocese and the following Suffragan sees : *

Roman Catholic Diocese of Rrëshen The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rrëshen ( la, Dioecesis Rrësheniensis) is a diocese located in the city of Rrëshen in the Ecclesiastical province of Tiranë–Durrës in Albania. History * December 25, 1888: Established as Territorial Abbac ...

(a type of pre-diocesan jurisdiction usually left exempt)

Episcopal ordinaries

(all Roman Rite) ;''Metropolitan Archbishops of Durrës'' * ''incomplete'' * Manfredo (1209-1211)Catholic Hierarchy: Archbishop Manfredo of Durrës (Durazzo)
/ref> * ... * Antonio (1296?–1301?) * Pietro (1303?–1304?) * Matteo (1320? – death 1334?) * Pietro da Geronsa,

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 teachi ...

(O.F.M.) (1340.03.23 – ?) * Angelo, O.F.M. (1344 – ?) * Antonio da Alessandria, O.F.M. (1349.05.25 – ?), previously

Titular Archbishop 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 an ...

of Hierapolis (1346.07.31 – 1349.05.25) * Demetrio (1363.12.20 – ?), previously Bishop of Stephaniacum (? – 1363.12.20) * Giovanni (1388.09.28 – ?) * Stefano da Napoli,

Carmelites , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Ca ...

(O. Carm.) (1394.06.03 – ?) *

Giovanni Bonifacio Panella Giovanni Bonifacio Panella (died 1417) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop (Personal Title) of Muro Lucano (1407–1417), ''(in Latin)'' Archbishop (Personal Title) of Capaccio (1399–1407), ''(in Latin)'' Archbishop of Dur ...

(1395.05.15 – 1399.05.16; died 1418?), previously Bishop of

Ferentino Ferentino is a town and ''comune'' in Italy, in the province of Frosinone, Lazio, southeast of Rome. It is situated on a hill above sea level, in the Monti Ernici area. History ''Ferentinum'' was a town of the Hernici; it was captured from the ...

(Italy) (1392.03.08 – 1395.05.15) and Bishop of

Sulmona Sulmona ( nap, label= Abruzzese, Sulmóne; la, Sulmo; grc, Σουλμῶν, Soulmôn) is a city and ''comune'' of the province of L'Aquila in Abruzzo, Italy. It is located in the Valle Peligna, a plain once occupied by a lake that disappeared in ...

(Italy) (1395–?); later

Archbishop-Bishop 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 ...

of Capaccio (Italy) (1399.05.16 – 1405.04.13), Bishop of

Muro Lucano Muro Lucano formerly Muro (until 1863) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the northern part of the region of Basilicata, southern Italy. History The city is situated on the site of the ancient Numistri, at the foot of the ...

(Italy) (1405.04.13 – 1418?) * Leonardo Piermicheli (1399.06.05 – ?) ;''Exempt Archbishops of Durrës'' * Minore (1403.09.13 – ?), previously Bishop of Suacia (? – 1403.09.13) * Giovanni di Durazzo,

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of ...

(O.P.) (1412.10.01 – death 1422) * Nicola di Cosma, O.F.M. (1422.07.06 – ?) * Giovanni de Monte (1429.10.21 – death 1441?) * Giacomo da Cortino (1457.01.26 – ?) * Stefano Birello,

Servites The Servite Order, officially known as the Order of Servants of Mary ( la, Ordo Servorum Beatae Mariae Virginis; abbreviation: OSM), is one of the five original Catholic mendicant orders. It includes several branches of friars (priests and brothe ...

(O.S.M.) (1458.03.09 – death 1459) * Paolo Angelo (1460.05.19 – ?) * Nicola Barbuti, O.P. (1469.05.05 – ?) * Marco Cattaneo (1474.11.16 – death 1487.08) * Martino Firmani (1492.02.18 – 1499.08.06) * Francesco Quirini (1499.11.27 – death 1505.08.01), previously Bishop of

Šibenik Šibenik () is a historic city in Croatia, located in central Dalmatia, where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Šibenik is a political, educational, transport, industrial and tourist center of Šibenik-Knin County, and is also the ...

(Croatia) (1491 – 1495) * Nicola Foresio (1505.09.01 – death 1510) * Gabriele Mascioli Foschi, Augustinians (O.E.S.A.) (1511 – death 1534.10.25) * Giorgio Stemagu (1535.06.21 – death 1540?) * Ludovico Bianchi,

Conventual Franciscans The Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM Conv) is a male religious fraternity in the Roman Catholic Church that is a branch of the Franciscans. The friars in OFM CONV are also known as Conventual Franciscans, or Minorites. Dating back to ...

(O.F.M. Conv.) (1540.04.16 – ?) *

Decio Carafa Decio Carafa (1556–1626) was an Archbishop of Naples who had previously served as papal nuncio to the Spanish Netherlands (1606–1607) and to Habsburg Spain (1607–1611). Life Carafa was born in Naples in 1556, the son of Ottaviano Carafa, l ...

(1608? – 1613.01.07), previously

of Damascus (1606.05.17 – 1611.08.17),

Apostolic Nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international ...

(papal ambassador) to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

(1607.05.22 – 1611.08); 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 S. Lorenzo in Panisperna (1612.05.07 – 1612.06.18), transferred Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Giovanni e Paolo (1612.06.18 – 1626.01.23), later Metropolitan Archbishop of

Napoli Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

(Italy) (1613.01.07 – 1626.01.23), Apostolic Nuncio to

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

(1621 – death 1626.01.23) *

Antonio Provana Antonio Provana (1578–1640) was a Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Turin (1632–1640) and Archbishop of Durrës (1622–1632). ''(in Latin)'' ''(in Latin)'' Biography Antonio Provana was born in 1578 in Turin, Italy. On 21 Ju ...

(1622.07.21 – 1632.01.07), later Metropolitan Archbishop of

Torino Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. T ...

(Italy) (1632.01.07 – death 1640.07.25) * Girolamo Greco (1634 – ?) * Marcus Scura, O.F.M. (1640.09.10 – death 1656.04.27), previously Bishop of Arbano (1635.10.01 – death 1640.09.10) * Nicola Carpegna (1657.08.27 – death 1670) * Gerardo Galata (1670.05.19 – death 1696?) *''

Apostolic Administrator 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 adm ...

Nicola Vladagni (1698.06.27 – 1700.03.30), while Bishop of

Lezhë Lezhë (, sq-definite, Lezha) is a city in the Republic of Albania and seat of Lezhë County and Lezhë Municipality. One of the main strongholds of the Labeatai, the earliest of the fortification walls of Lezhë are of typical Illyrian cons ...

(Albania) (1692.10.15 – 1705?)'' * Pietro Zumi (1700.03.30 – death 1720) * Pietro Scurra (1720.09.30 – death 1737), previously Bishop of

Pult Pult or Pulat ( sq-definite, Pulti or Pulati), is a region in northern Albania. It is bordered by the Malësia Region to its north and by the Dukagjin Highlands to its east and its south. The region has traditionally been inhabited by the Plan ...

(Albania) (1719.05.15 – 1720.09.30) * Giovanni Galata (1739.01.26 – death 1752), previously Bishop of Sapë (Albania) (1720.09.30 – 1728.11.15) and

(Albania) (1720.12.23 – 1728.11.15), Bishop of Lezhë (Albania) (1728.11.15 – 1739.01.26) * Nicolò Angelo Radovani (1752.12.18 – death 1774?) * Tommaso Mariagni (1774.06.27 – death 1808?) * Paul Galata (1808 – death 1836.08.12), succeeding as former

Coadjutor Archbishop The term coadjutor (or coadiutor, literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence. These include: * Coad ...

of Durrës (1803.09.09 – 1808) & Titular Bishop of Tænarum (1803.09.09 – 1808) * Nicola Bianchi (1838.06.26 – death 1843.05.17) * Giorgio Labella, O.F.M. (1844.11.26 – death 1847.06.04) * Raffaele d’Ambrosio, O.F.M. (1847.12.17 – 1893.07.14), later

of Acrida (1893.07.14 – ?) * Primo Bianchi (1893.07.17 – 1922), later Titular Archbishop of Cassiope (see) (1922.06.12 – death 1927.08.19) * Francesco Melchiori, O.F.M. (1922.05.22 – death 1928), succeeding as former

of Durrës (1921.09.28 – 1922.05.22) & Titular Archbishop of Modon (1921.09.28 – 1922.05.22) * Pietro Gjura (1929.05.15 – death 1939.07.09) * Vinçenc Prennushi, O.F.M. (1940.06.26 – death 1949.03.19), also Apostolic Administrator of Southern Albania of the Albanese (Albania) (1946 – 1949.03.19); previously Bishop of Sapë (Albania) (1936.01.27 – 1940.06.26) *''

Nikollë Troshani ((1958.04.18 – 1992),

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 Cisamus (1958.04.18 – death 1994.05.25), no other office'' ;''Archbishop of Durrës–Tiranë'' * Archbishop Rrok Mirdita (1992.12.25 – 2005.01.25 ''see below''), also President of Episcopal Conference of Albania (1997 – 2000) ;''Metropolitan Archbishops of Tiranë-Durrës'' * Archbishop Rrok Mirdita (''see above'' 2005.01.25 – death 2015.12.07), also President of Episcopal Conference of Albania (2006 – 2012.09) * Archbishop George Anthony Frendo, O.P. (2016.12.03 – 2021.11.30) * Archbishop Arjan Dodaj, (2021.11.30 - present)

References

Sources

* * * * * *

External links