The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of İzmir () is a Latin

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

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

in Asian

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

(Anatolia). 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 ...

motherchurch and thus see of its archbishop is St. John's Cathedral. It also includes a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

: Meryem Ana Evi Meryem Ana Evi, Bülbüldağı.

Martin Kmetec Martin Kmetec, O.F.M. Conv. (born 10 November 1956) is the Archbishop of İzmir and a Conventual Franciscan friar. He was appointed to the episcopate as Archbishop of İzmir on 8 December 2020. Biography Martin Kmetec was born in Ptuj in Sloven ...

OFMConv, was appointed Archbishop of İzmir by

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

on 8 December 2020.

History

In 1346 was established a Latin ''Archdiocese of Smyrna (Smirne)''. In 1575 it was suppressed as residential see but immediately transformed into a Latin

titular archbishopric A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...

. The title was held by: * Eugenio di Pesaro, OESA (1575.11.16 – ?) * Agostino Buzio di Varese, OFM (1580.07.04 – ?) * Carlo Gaudenzio Madruzzo (1595.10.23 – 1600.04.02) (later Cardinal) In 1625 the residential see was restored, but demoted to missionary pre-diocesan jurisdiction, as the Apostolic Vicariate of Smyrna. It was promoted to the Metropolitan ''Archdiocese of İzmir'' by

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII (; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823) was head of the Catholic Church from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. He ruled the Papal States from June 1800 to 17 May 1809 and again ...

on 18 March 1818, though it lacked the

suffragan sees 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 by ...

that normally constitute the

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian churches, including those of both Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity, that have traditional hierarchical structures. An ecclesiastical province consist ...

under a

metropolitan archdiocese A metropolis, metropolitanate or metropolitan diocese is an episcopal see whose bishop is the metropolitan bishop or archbishop of an ecclesiastical province. Metropolises, historically, have been important cities in their provinces. Eastern Ortho ...

. On 12 September 1896 it gained territory from the suppressed Apostolic Prefecture of Trabzon, on 20 July 1931 it lost territory to the Diocese of Chios (insular Greece). It has been visited by

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

in July 1967,

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 ...

in November 1979, and

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...

in November 2006. According to the current bishop, around 5,000 Catholics live in the diocese, though the number could be higher if one factors in refugees and migrants. "They mainly live in the inner-city areas of İzmir and other large cities. We have communities also in Konya, Antalya and other cities along the coast. In terms of geographical area, our archdiocese is very large, comprising about 100,000 square kilometres. The last parish that belongs to us is Konya, which is located about 550 kilometres from İzmir; its southern counterpart is Antalya, which is about 450 kilometres away. That shows you how great the distances are."

Ordinaries

(all

Roman Rite The Roman Rite () is the most common ritual family for performing the ecclesiastical services of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. The Roman Rite governs Rite (Christianity) ...

)

Crusader age

;Archbishops of Smyrna (Smirne) * Guillaume Adam, OP (1318 – 1322.10.06), later Archbishop of

Soltania Soltaniyeh () is a city in the Central District of Soltaniyeh County, Zanjan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. History Soltaniyeh, located some to the north-west of Tehran, was built as the capita ...

(1322.10.06 – 1324.10.26), Metropolitan Archbishop of

Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

(Montenegro) (1324.10.26 – death 1341) * Benedetto (1343 – ?) *

Paolo di Tebe Paolo is a masculine given name, the Italian form of the name Paul. It may refer to: People Art * Paolo Abbate (1884–1973), Italian-American sculptor * Paolo Alboni (1671–1734), Italian painter * Paolo Antonio Barbieri (1603–1649), Ital ...

(1345.07.10 – 1357.05.15), later Metropolitan Archbishop of Thebae (Thebes, Greece) (1357.05.15 – 1366.04.17), Latin Titular Patriarch of Constantinople (1366.04.17 – death 1370),

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 Patrasso (1367.10.20 – 1370) * Pietro da Piacenza, OFM (1358.01.31 – 1362.03.04), 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 archdioc ...

of Olena (1362.03.04 – ?) * Tommaso di Savignon, OFM (1362.06.10 – ?) * Raimondo di San Michele, OCarm (1373.02.14 – ?) * Giorgio Dalmato, OCarm (1379.09.06 – ?) * Giovanni di Berriaco, OESA (1386.10.10 – ?) * Giovanni di Leicester, OCarm (1398 – ?) * Paolo (1410 – ?) * Francesco di Monte Granelli, OFM (1412.06.04 – ?)

Modern age

Apostolic Vicars of Smyrna (Smirne)

* Pietro de Marchi, OP (1625.02.19 – death 1648.07.13), previously Bishop of

Santorini Santorini (, ), officially Thira (, ) or Thera, is a Greek island in the southern Aegean Sea, about southeast from the mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago formed by the Santorini caldera. It is the southern ...

(insular Greece) (1611.04.18 – 1625.02.19) * Giacinto Subiani, OP (1648.07.13 – 1652.03.05),

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 ...

Edessa Edessa (; ) was an ancient city (''polis'') in Upper Mesopotamia, in what is now Urfa or Şanlıurfa, Turkey. It was founded during the Hellenistic period by Macedonian general and self proclaimed king Seleucus I Nicator (), founder of the Sel ...

(1644.11.14 – 1648.07.13), succeeding as former

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic An apostolic vicariate is a territorial jurisdiction of the Catholic Church under a titular bishop centered in missionary regions and countries where dioceses or parishes have not yet been established. The status of apostolic vicariate is often ...

of Smyrna (1644.11.14 – 1648.07.13), later Apostolic Vicar of

Constantinopole Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

(Turkey) (1652.03.05 – 1656.10.15) * Leone Macripodari (1659.04.05 – 1689) * Antonio Giustiniani (1690.01.13 – 1694.02.08), later Bishop of

Syros Syros ( ), also known as Siros or Syra, is a Greece, Greek island in the Cyclades, in the Aegean Sea. It is south-east of Athens. The area of the island is and at the 2021 census it had 21,124 inhabitants. The largest towns are Ermoupoli, Ano S ...

(Greece) (1694.02.08 – 1701.01.24),

of Diocese of Andros (insular Greece) (1698.05.02 – ?), Metropolitan Archbishop of

Naxos Naxos (; , ) is a Greek island belonging to the Cyclades island group. It is the largest island in the group. It was an important centre during the Bronze Age Cycladic Culture and in the Ancient Greek Archaic Period. The island is famous as ...

(insular Greece) (1701.01.24 – death 1730.03) *

Daniel Duranti, OFM. (1696.06.07 – 1706?; ''see below''), while 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) (1690.12.11 – 1702.07.29) * Fr. Nicolaus de Camillis (1706.05.12 – 1710.05.07), later Bishop of

(Greece) (1710.05.07 – 1710 not possessed) *

Daniel Duranti, OFM. (''see above'' 1708.06.23 – 1713.08.17), retired Metropolitan Archbishop of

(Macedonia) * Davide di San Carlo, OCD (1713.11.23 – death 1715.04.18) * Filippo Bavestrelli (1715.08.09 – 1720.09.30), later Bishop of

Chios Chios (; , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greece, Greek list of islands of Greece, island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, tenth largest island in the Medi ...

(insular Greece) (1720.09.30 – death 1754.04.06) * Pietro Battista di Garbagnate, OFMRef (1718.04.09 – 1720.06.15), emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Cartagine (1720.06.15 – death 1730.04.11) * Pietro Francesco Lombardi, OFMRef (1720.08.30 – 1721.07.05), emeritate as Titular Bishop of Talia (1721.07.05 – death 1722) *

Bishop-elect A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

Antonio Maturi, OFM (1722.04.15 – 1731.05.21), later Bishop of

(Greece) (1731.05.21 – 1733.04.13), Metropolitan Archbishop of

(Greece) (1733.04.13 – 1749.07.21),

of above Syros (1749.07.21 – death 1750.10) * Dario de Longhis, OFM (1730.09.02 – 1735.05.25), later Bishop of

(Greece) (1735.05.25 – retired 1748.07.27) * Gerolamo di Peraino, OFMRef (1735.02.05 – 1747) * Joannes Baptista Bavestrelli (1747.05.12 – 1754.09.16), later Bishop of

(insular Greece) (1754.09.16 – 1772.08.31), emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Heraclea (1772.08.31 – death 1777.04.20) * Eusebio Franzosini, OP (1754.12.20 – 1763) * Domenico di Valdagno, OFMRef (1763.08.26 – 1779) * Pietro Graveri di Moretta, OFMObs (1779.12.23 – 1781.08.17) * Giulio Maria Pecori d’Ameno, OFM (1781.08.18 – 1788.09.23), later Titular Bishop of

Aradus ''Aradus'' is a genus of true bugs in the family Aradidae, the flat bugs. It is distributed worldwide, mainly in the Holarctic.Larivière, M. C. and A. Larochelle. (2006)An overview of flat bug genera (Hemiptera, Aradidae) from New Zealand, wit ...

(1788.09.23 – death 1796.02.28) and Apostolic Vicar of

(Turkey) (1788.09.23 – 1796.02.28) * Pasquale Orlandini da Bergamo, OFMRef (1790.04.16 – 1817.06.26) *

Luigi Maria Cardelli, OFMRef (1817.06.26 – 1818.03.18 ''see below''), succeeding as former

of Smyrna (? – 1817.06.26)

Metropolitan Archbishops of İzmir (Smyrna)

* Luigi Maria Cardelli, OFMRef (''see above'' 1818.03.18 – 1832.08.29), emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Acrida (1832.09.11 – 1868.06.11) * Pierre-Dominique-Marcellin Bonamie,

Picpus Fathers The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary () abbreviated SS.CC., is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for priests and brothers. The congregation is also known as the Picpus because their first house wa ...

(SS.CC.) (1835.02.13 – 1837.11.24), previously Latin Bishop of

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

(Iraq) (1832.05.04 – 1835.02.13); later

Superior General A superior general or general superior is the leader or head of an 'order' of religious persons (nuns, priests, friars, etc) or, in other words, of a 'religious institute' in the Catholic Church, and in some other Christian denominations. The super ...

Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary () abbreviated SS.CC., is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for priests and brothers. The congregation is also known as the Picpus because their first house w ...

(Picpus Fathers) (1837.05.04 – 1853.07.26), emeritate as Titular Archbishop of

Chalcedon Chalcedon (; ; sometimes transliterated as ) was an ancient maritime town of Bithynia, in Asia Minor, Turkey. It was located almost directly opposite Byzantium, south of Scutari (modern Üsküdar) and it is now a district of the city of Ist ...

(1837.11.24 – death 1874.07.08) * Antonio Mussabini (1838.03.06 – death 1861.05.04) * Giuseppe Maria Alberti (1862.01.07 – 1862.03.23 ''not possessed''), previously Titular Bishop of Eumenia (1843.03.21 – 1851.10.30), Coadjutor Bishop of

(Greece) (1843.03.21 – 1851.10.30) succeeding as Bishop of Syros (1851.10.30 – death 1880.03.18) * Vincent Spaccapietra (1862.04.08 – death 1878.11.24),

Lazarists The Congregation of the Mission (), abbreviated CM and commonly called the Vincentians or Lazarists, is a Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right for men founded by Vincent de Paul. It is associated with the Vincentian Family, ...

(C.M.), previously Titular Bishop of Arcadiopolis (1852.11.21 – 1855.04.18), Metropolitan Archbishop of

Port of Spain Port of Spain ( ; Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English: ''Port ah Spain'' ) is the capital and chief port of Trinidad and Tobago. With a municipal population of 49,867 (2017), an urban population of 81,142 and a transient dail ...

(Trinidad and Tobago) (1855.04.18 – 1859.09.12), Titular Archbishop of

Ancyra Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( Etimesgut, Yenimahalle, Çankaya, Keçiören, Altında ...

(1859.09.12 – 1862.04.08) * Andrea Policarpo Timoni (1879.05.27 – 1904.08.01) * Domenico Raffaele Francesco Marengo, OP (1904.08.01 – death 1909.06.12), succeeding as former

Coadjutor Archbishop The term "coadjutor" (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: * Coadjutor bishop ...

of İzmir (1904.03.08 – 1904.08.01) and Titular Archbishop of

Titopolis Titiopolis or Titioupolis () was a town of ancient Cilicia and later in the Roman province of Isauria. Name and location Some refer to the town by the name Titopolis, but a coin minted there in the time of Emperor Hadrian bears on the reverse t ...

(1904.03.08 – 1904.08.01) * Giuseppe Antonio Zucchetti, OFMCap (1909.12.22 – death 1920.03.08), former Apostolic Prefect of

Mardin Mardin (; ; romanized: ''Mārdīn''; ; ) is a city and seat of the Artuklu District of Mardin Province in Turkey. It is known for the Artuqids, Artuqid architecture of its old city, and for its strategic location on a rocky hill near the Tigris ...

(Turkey) (1879 – 1909.12.22); emeritate as Titular Archbishop of

Trapezus Trabzon, historically known as Trebizond, is a city on the Black Sea coast of northeastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. The city was founded in 756 BC as "Trapezous" by colonists from Miletus. It was added into the Achaemenid Em ...

(1920.03.08 – death 1931.06.01) * Giovanni Battista Federico Vallega (1921.01.24 – 1929.03.01); later Titular Archbishop of Nicopolis in Epiro (1929.03.01 – death 1944.12.04),

Apostolic Nuncio 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 ambassador) to

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

(1939.08.13 – retired 1939.12.09) *

Giovanni Battista Dellepiane Giovanni Battista Dellepiane (21 February 1889 – 13 August 1961) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church. He spent his career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See, including nineteen years leading the Vatican's mission to the Belgian ...

(1929.02.27 – 1930.01.18),

of Stauropolis (1929.07.18 – 1961.08.13), later papal diplomat:

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 ...

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (, ; ) was a Belgian colonial empire, Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960 and became the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Repu ...

and Ruanda-Urundi (1930.01.18 – 1949.01.12),

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

(1949.01.12 – 1951.12.21), Apostolic Nuncio to Austria (1951.12.21 – death 1961.08.13) * Eduardo Tonna (1929.11.26 – 1937.12.02), emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Garella (1937.12.02 – 1939.04.15) and finally Titular Archbishop of Miletus (1939.04.15 – 1963.11.07) * Joseph Emmanuel Descuffi, C.M. (1937.12.03 – 1965.11.04), later Titular Archbishop of Antinoë (1965.11.04 – 1971?, died 1972) * Alfred Cuthbert Gumbinger,

OFM Cap The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; Post-nominal letters, postnominal abbr. OFMCap) is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of Franciscans, Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of three "Religious institute#Nomenclature, F ...

(1965.11.04 – death 1966.08.31) *

Saverio Zupi Saverio Zupi (9 January 1914 – 1 March 1983) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See from 1943 to 1966. Biography Saverio Zupi was born on 9 January 1914 in Cerisano, Italy. He was orda ...

(1966 – 1967.09.09), Titular Archbishop of Serra (1961.10.28 – 1983.03.01), papal diplomat * Giovanni Enrico Boccella,

TOR Tor, TOR or ToR may refer to: Places * Toronto, Canada ** Toronto Raptors * Tor, Pallars, a village in Spain * Tor, former name of Sloviansk, Ukraine, a city * Mount Tor, Tasmania, Australia, an extinct volcano * Tor Bay, Devon, England * Tor ...

(1967.09.09 – 1978.12.07), emeritate as Titular Archbishop of

Ephesus Ephesus (; ; ; may ultimately derive from ) was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, in present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of Apasa, the former Arzawan capital ...

(1978.12.07 – death 1992.05.22) * Domenico Caloyera, OP (1978.12.07 – 1983.01.22), previously

''sede plena'' of Istanbul of the Greeks (Turkey) (1955.05.27 – 1957.01.28), Apostolic Administrator of Istanbul of the Greeks (Turkey) (1957.01.28 – 1973) * Giuseppe Germano Bernardini, OFMCap (1983.01.22 – retired 2004.10.11) * Ruggero Franceschini, OFMCap (2004.10.11 – 7 November 2015) *

Lorenzo Piretto Lorenzo Piretto, O.P. (born 15 December 1942) is the emeritus Archbishop of İzmir and a Dominican friar. He was ordained to the episcopate and installed as Archbishop of İzmir on 20 December 2015, five days after his 73rd birthday. Biograph ...

, OP (7 November 2015 - 8 December 2020) *

, OFMConv (8 December 2020 - )

References

;Additional sources *

External links

Catholic-Hierarchy

{{DEFAULTSORT:Izmir, Archdiocese Christianity in İzmir Roman Catholic dioceses in Turkey Religious organizations established in 1818 Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 19th century 1818 establishments in the Ottoman Empire