The Archdiocese of Shkodër–Pult (, ), historically known as Scutari, is one of two Metropolitan

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 associated ...

of the

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of the

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Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

."Diocese of Shkodrë (Scutari)"
'' Catholic-Hierarchy.org''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved September 7, 2017"Metropolitan Archdiocese of Shkodrë–Pult"
''GCatholic.org''. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved September 7, 2017 The archdiocese's

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

is St. Stephen's Cathedral () in Shkoder, dedicated to St. Stephen Protomartyr.

Statistics

As of 2014, it pastorally served 166,700 Catholics (70.0% of 238,000 total) on 4,113 km² in 40 parishes and 3 missions with 55 priests (21 diocesan, 34 religious), 220 lay religious (62 brothers, 158 sisters), and 9 seminarians.

Ecclesiastical province

The archdiocese has two

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...

sees: * the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lezhë * the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sapë.

History

The diocese of Scutari (Shkodrë) was established circa 305. The first known bishop was Bassus (387). The bishops of Scutari were at first subject to the Metropolitan Archbishopric of Thessalonica (Thessaloniki,

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

), Primatial see of all Illyricum, but when

Byzantine emperor The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...

Justinian I Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565. His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...

transferred the primacy, they became

s of the Archdiocese of Justiniana Prima. In the early Middle Ages Scutari was suffragan of the Archdiocese of Dioclea (now Metropolitan of Bar, in

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

). From 1063 to 1886 53 bishops of Scutari are known (none to the middle of the twelfth century). In 1571 it gained territory from the suppressed diocese of Suacium (Svač, Šas). The ancient diocese of Ulcinium (Ulcinj, Dulcigno), in the territory of Scutari, was, in 1571, occupied by the Ottoman Turks and ceased to exist. Its bishops were suffragans of the Archbishop of Antivari. In 1650 it gained territory from the suppressed Diocese of Drivasto. Other ancient sees in this territory were the Diocese of Dinnastrum and Diocese of Balazum. On 14 March 1867, it was promoted as Archdiocese of Shkodrë (Scutari) when Scutari was '' aeque principaliter'' united with the Archdiocese of Antivari, and in this way

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

made Scutari an archdiocese. The first archbishop of the united diocese, Karl Pooten, native of Teveren near Geilenkirchen,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, who had been Apostolic Administrator of Antivari (1834–1855), died at Scutari on 15 January 1886. On 23 October 1886, the Archdiocese of Scutari was again separated from that of Antivari, and remained an archdiocese with three suffragan dioceses: the Alessio, Sappa and Pulati.

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

visited the archdicoese in April 1993. Several years later, on 25 January 2005, John Paul II suppressed the Diocese of Pult, and renamed Shkodrë to the Archdiocese of Shkodrë–Pult, incorporating territory from the former diocese.

Ordinaries

Below is an incomplete list of the ordinaries of the Archdiocese of Shkodër-Pult, all of whom are Latin Rite. ;''Suffragan Bishops of Scutari (Shkodrë)'' * Bassus (c. 392) * Senecio (I, II?) (c. 392; 424; 431; 446) * Andrew (519) * Phocas (553) * Stephen (591) * John (Iohannes Scoritanus) (597; 599) * Constantine (602) ---- * George I (1141) * Peter I (Peter of Svač) (1199) * Anonymous (1251) * Stephen (Shtjefën Marini/Marin Žaretić?) = Stefano (? – 1303.11.18) * Miroslav (1307?–?) * Teodorico (1322–?) * Peter II (ca. 1325) ?= Pietro (1331?–?) * Marcus = Marco I (1346.08.20 – ?) * Martinus = Martino I (? – death 1367?) * Antin de Seluciis = da Saluzzo,

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...

(O.P.) (1367.04.23 – ?) * Francis = Francesco I (1388.05.04 – ?) * Henry = Enrico,

Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (commonly 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 t ...

(O.F.M.) (1390?–?) * Andruin = Andruino (1398?96 – ?) * Christopher = Cristoforo,

Augustinian Order Augustinians are members of several religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written about 400 A.D. by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13th ...

(O.E.S.A.) (1401.06.10 – 1401.12.14), next Bishop of Polignano (1401.12.14 – ?) * Migliorino Manfredi (), O.F.M. (1401.12.14 – 1402?) * Bartolomeo Vanni, O.E.S.A. (1402 – 1403.08.24), previously Bishop of

Kotor Kotor (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian language, Italian: ), is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has ...

(Montenegro) (1388 – 1395.02.05), Bishop of Calvi (Italy) (1395.02.05 – 1402); later Bishop of Bovino (Italy) (1403.08.24 – ?) * Progon () = Progano Printzenago (1403.08.14 – 1405?) * John = Giovanni I (1407.03.19 – death 1440?) * Emmanuel (Emanueli de Kandja) = Emanuele, O.P. (1451.01.09 – death 1459?) * Thaddeus (Tade Paskalika) = Taddeo Pascaligo (1465.03.06 – ?) * Bartholomew () (1467.02.09 – 1471.10.11), also

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 admi ...

of Sapë (Albania) (1468 – 1471.10.11); later Bishop of

Poreč Poreč (; known also by several alternative names) is a town and municipality on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula, in Istria County, west Croatia. Its major landmark is the 6th-century Euphrasian Basilica, which was designated a UN ...

(

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

) (1471.10.11 – 1475) * Francis II (Francesco de Sanctis), O.F.M. (1471.10.14 – 1491?) * Nicholas (Nicola Lupus) = Nicolò Lupi (1492.03.14 – ?) * Nicholas II () (1495) * Jacob (), O.E.S.A. (1511.03.10 – death 1517.08.10) * Peter II (Pietro de Gardona) = Pedro Cardona, Augustinian Canons Regular (C.R.S.A.) 1518.02.26 – death 1522) * Jerome (Geronimo de Carpo) = Girolamo Vascheri, O.F.M. (1522.10.03 – 1524.09.19), next Bishop of Guardialfiera (1524.09.19 – 1533) * Anthony I (Anton Baccaria) = Antonio Beccari, O.P. (1534.09.23 – death 1543) * Melchiorre Pelletta (1570) * Theodore (Theodor Kalompsi) = Teodoro Calompsi (1575.10.26 – death 1578?) * Paul(us) I = Paolo da Zara, O.P. (1582.03.05 – death 1585) * Duka (Duka Armani) (1590.06.13 – ?) * Andrew I = Andrea (? – death 1622?) * Dominic I (, ) = Domenico Andreassi, O.F.M. (?1622.03.23 – death 1637) * ? Benedict (Benedikt Ursini) (1626–????) * Francis III (Françesku Kruta) = Francesco Cruta (1640.09.10 – death 1645?) * Gregory (Gregorio Frassina de Novara) = Gregorio Frasini, O.F.M. (1646.09.10 – death 1656?) * Peter III ( Pjetër Bogdani) = Pietro Bogdano (1656.03.06 – 1677.11.08), also

of Archdiocese of Bar (Montenegro) (1659.10.24 – 1671.02.23); next Metropolitan Archbishop of

Skopje Skopje ( , ; ; , sq-definite, Shkupi) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It lies in the northern part of the country, in the Skopje Basin, Skopje Valley along the Vardar River, and is the political, economic, and cultura ...

(

Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...

) (1677.11.08 – death 1689.11) * Dominic II () = Domenico Bubić (1677.11.22 – death 1686) * Andrew II (Andrea Gallata) (1686.09.16 – death 1690?) **''

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 admi ...

Marinus II (Marin Grago) = Marino Drago (1690.02.11 – 1693.12.22), while Bishop of

(Montenegro) (1688.05.31 – 1708.10.03); later Bishop of Budua (1696.07.07 – ?), Bishop of Korcula (1708.10.03 – death 1733.10.09)'' * Anthony II (Anton/Ndoc Vlladanji) (13 August 1691 – 1693) * Anthony III (Anton Nigri/Negri / Antonius de Nigris) = Antonio Negri (1693.12.22 – death 1702) **''

Father Peter Karagić, O.F.M. (1698.08.20 – 1698.09.15), no previous prelature; later Bishop of Pult (Albania) (1698.09.15 – 1702.09.25), Metropolitan Archbishop of

(Macedonia) (1702.09.25 – ?)'' * Antonio IV Babbi (1703.01.15 – death 1728.10) * Anthony V (Anton/Ndoc Vlladanji) = Antonio Vladagni (1729.12.23 – death 1740) * Paul II (Paolo Campsinato di Pietro / Pal Kampsi) = Paolo Campsi (25 May 1742 – death 1771), also Bishop of

Lezhë Lezhë (, sq-definite, Lezha) is a List of cities and towns in Albania, city in the Republic of Albania and seat of Lezhë County and Lezhë Municipality. It is one of Albania's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously i ...

(Albania) (1748.09.16 – 1750) * George II ( Gjergj Radovani) = Giorgio Angelo Radovani (29 July 1771 – 23 April 1787), previously

Apostolic Vicar Apostolic may refer to: The Apostles An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission: *The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles *Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Churc ...

of Sofia–Plovdiv (

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

) (1767.04.30 – 1771.07.29); later Metropolitan Archbishop of Bar (Montenegro) (1787.04.23 – death 1790.11.15) and Bishop of Budua (1787.04.27 – 1790.11.15) * Francis IV (Francesco Borzi) (23 April 1787 – 11 April 1791), next Metropolitan Archbishop of Bar (Montenegro) (1791.04.11 – 1823.02.11) and Bishop of Budua (1791.09.27 – 1823.02.11) * Matthew (Matteo Crescesi) (11 April 1791 – death 1808.01.24) * Antonio Angelo Radovani (1808.07.08 – death 1814.05.03), previously Bishop of Sapë (Albania) (1796.06.27 – 1808.07.08 * Antonio Dodmassei (1814.12.19 – death 1816.07.21), previously Bishop of Pult (Albania) (1808.07.08 – 1814.12.19) * Nikolla Muriqi (1817.07.04 – death 1824.02.14) * Ambrogio Bruci (1824.08.24 – death 1831.06.21) * Benigno Albertini,

Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...

(O.F.M. Obs.) (13 April 1832 – death 1838.08.24) * Loius I (Luigi Guglielmi) (24 September 1839 – 1852.09.27), next Bishop of

Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...

(Italy) (1852.09.27 – death 1853.01.29) **''

Giovanni Topić (Gjon Topiq), O.F.M. Obs. (1842.01.12 – 1845 ''see below''), while Bishop of

(Albania) (1842.01.12 – 1853.09.27)'' * Giovanni Topić = John II (Gjon Topiq), O.F.M. Obs. (27 September 1853 – retired 1859.01.17), emeritate 'promoted' as

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 Philippopolis (1859.07.10 – death 1868.06.11) * Louis II (Luigi Ciurcia) (6 February 1859 – 27 July 1866), next Titular Archbishop of Irenopolis (1866.07.27 – death 1881.07.13) as

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

(Egypt) (1866.07.27 – 1881.05.01) and

Apostolic Delegate An apostolic nuncio (; 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 organization. A nuncio is ...

(papal diplomatic envoy) to ritish protectoratesEgypt and Arabia (1866.07.27 – 1881.07.13); previously Bishop of

(Albania) (1853.09.27 – 1858.06.04), Titular Bishop of Delcus (1858.06.04 – 1859.02.06) as

Coadjutor Bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) ("co-assister" in Latin) is a bishop in the Latin Catholic, Anglican and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in administering the diocese. The coa ...

of Shkodrë (1858.06.04 – succession 1859.02.06) ;''Non-Metropolitan Archbishop of Shkodrë (Scutari)'' * Charles (Karl Pooten) (15 March 1867 – death 15 January 1886), previously

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 an ...

of Maronia (1844.02 – 1855.08.31), Metropolitan Archbishop of Bar (Montenegro) (1855.08.31 – 1886.01.15) ;''Metropolitan Archbishops of Shkodrë (Scutari)'' * Pascal (Pasquale Guerini) (born Italy) (23 November 1886 – retired November 1910), emeritate as

of Melitene (1910.01.14 – death 1911.02.08); previously

Paphos Paphos, also spelled as Pafos, is a coastal city in southwest Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In classical antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: #Old Paphos, Old Paphos, today known as Kouklia, and #New Paphos, New Paphos. It i ...

(1879.05.06 – 1886.11.23) as

Auxiliary Bishop An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions. ...

of Archdiocese of Bar (Montenegro) (1879.05.06 – 1886.11.23) **

: Andrea Logorezzi (born Albania) (1887.01.07 – 1888.06.15), Titular Bishop of Iuliopolis (1887.01.07 – 1888.06.15); later Metropolitan Archbishop of

(Macedonia) (1888.06.15 – death 1891.12.29) ** Coadjutor Archbishop: Lazaro Miedia = Lazarus ( Lazër Mjeda) (1904.12.24 – 1909.04.14 ''see below''), Titular Archbishop of Areopolis (1904.12.24 – 1909.04.14); previously Bishop of Sapë (Albania) (1900.11.10 – 1904.12.24); next Metropolitan Archbishop of

(

) (1909.04.14 – 1921.10.19) * Giacomo Sereggi = Jacob (Jak(ë) Serreqi) (14 April 1910 – 14 October 1921), previously Bishop of Sapë (Albania) (1905.08.07 – 1910.04.14); emeritate as Titular Archbishop of

Cyzicus Cyzicus ( ; ; ) was an ancient Greek town in Mysia in Anatolia in the current Balıkesir Province of Turkey. It was located on the shoreward side of the present Kapıdağ Peninsula (the classical Arctonnesus), a tombolo which is said to have or ...

(1921.10.14 – death 1922.04.11) * Lazaro Miedia = Lazarus ( Lazër Mjeda) (''see above'' 19 October 1921 – death 8 July 1935) * Gaspar(e) (Gaspër Thaçi) (27 January 1936 – death 25 May 1946) **''

Ernesto Çoba (1952.01.21 – death 1979.04.15), Titular Bishop of Midaëum (1952.01.21 – 1979.04.15)'' * Francis (Frano Illia) (25 December 1992 – death 22 October 1997), also President of Episcopal Conference of Albania (1993 – 22 October 1997) **

: Zef Simoni (born Albania) (25 December 1992 – retired 20 January 2004), Titular Bishop of Bararus (1992.12.25 – death 2009.02.21) ;''Metropolitan Archbishops of Shkodrë-Pult (Scutari-Pulati)'' * Angel (Angelo Massafra) (born Italy) (28 March 1998 – 8 January 2025), President of Episcopal Conference of Albania (2000–2006 and 2012.09 – ...), previously Bishop of Rrëshen (Albania) (1996.12.07 – 1998.03.28). * Giovanni Peragine, B. (As coadjutor 20 May 2024, as archbishop 8 January 2025 – present)

Notes

References

Sources and external links

* Живковић, Војислав
Скадарска епископија до 1089. године
Византијско-словенска чтенија VII (2024), 253-262. (The Bishopric of Shkodra until 1089.)

* * * ttp://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dshko.html ''Catholic Hierarchy'' page {{DEFAULTSORT:Shkoder-Pult, Roman Catholic Archdiocese Roman Catholic dioceses in Albania Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Shkodër-Pult Roman Catholic ecclesiastical provinces in Albania