The Territorial Prelature of Tromsø () is a

Catholic 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 ...

territorial prelature A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...

located in the city of

Tromsø Tromsø is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The city is the administrative centre of the municipality as well as the administrative centre of Troms county. The city is located on the is ...

in Norway. The territory is divided into 7 parishes located in the following sites:

, Bodø, Hammerfest,

Harstad Harstad may refer to: Places *Harstad (town) Harstad (; ) is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Harstad Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The city is also the administrative centre of Harstad Municipality. The city has a populati ...

, Mosjøen,

Narvik () is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of the notable villag ...

and

Storfjord Storfjorden or Storfjord (meaning "big fjord" in Norwegian) may refer to several places in Norway: Fjords *Storfjorden (Sunnmøre) Storfjorden (or ''Storfjord'') is a long fjord in the Sunnmøre region of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It str ...

History

The Reformation in Norway ended organized Roman Catholic practice in 1537. Between 1688 and 1834, northern Norway was included as part of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of the Nordic Missions, before it passed to the Apostolic Vicariate of Sweden in 1834. In 1855, Norway north of the

Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the northernmost of the five major circle of latitude, circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth at about 66° 34' N. Its southern counterpart is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circl ...

became part of the new

Apostolic Prefecture An apostolic prefect or prefect apostolic is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a 'pre-diocesan' missionary jurisdiction where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese. Although it ...

of the North Pole. This only lasted until August 17, 1869, when northern Norway rejoined with the rest of Norway in the new Apostolic Prefecture of Norway (upgraded to Apostolic Vicariate of Norway in 1892). In 1931, the Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Norway was divided into three jurisdictions, originally two mission ''sui iuris'' (missions in areas with very few Catholics, often desolate or remote) and a marginally more populated

apostolic vicariate 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 ...

. Over the remainder of the 20th century, as the Catholic population grew in these areas, and as transportation infrastructure overcame some of the remoteness, these jurisdictions have advanced through apostolic prefecture, apostolic vicariate, two have grown to

, with one jurisdiction growing to become a full

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, prov ...

. The jurisdiction for southern Norway started as the Apostolic Vicariate of Oslo (1931–1953), growing quickly enough to become the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oslo in 1953. The jurisdiction for central Norway started as the Missionary District of Central Norway (1931–1935), growing to the Apostolic Prefecture of Central Norway (1935–1953), the Apostolic Vicariate of Central Norway (1953–1979), then the

Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Trondheim The Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Trondheim is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church, located in Norway. Before March 1979, it was known as the Apostolic Vicariate of Central Norway. Erik Varden was appoin ...

. The jurisdiction for Norway north of the polar circle started as the Missionary District of Northern Norway (1931–1944), growing to the Apostolic Prefecture of Northern Norway (1944–1955), the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Norway (1955–1979), and the Roman Catholic Territorial Prelature of Tromsø on 28 March 1979.

Leadership

* Prelates of Tromsø ** Apostolic Administrator Eric Varden (August 31, 2023 – ) ** Bishop Berislav Grgić (December 18, 2008 – August 31, 2023) ** Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Goebel, M.S.F. (March 29, 1979 – November 4, 2006) * Vicars Apostolic of Northern Norway ** Bishop João Batista Przyklenk, M.S.F. (March 1, 1976 – February 19, 1977) ** Bishop Johann Wember, M.S.F. (February 18, 1955 – 1976) * Prefects Apostolic of Northern Norway ** Fr. Johann Wember, M.S.F. (later Bishop) (March 10, 1944 – February 18, 1955) *Ecclesiastical Superiors of Northern Norway ** Fr. Johann Wember, M.S.F. (later Bishop) (November 17, 1939 – March 10, 1944) ** Fr. Giovanni Starcke, M.S.F. (December 5, 1931 – 1939)

References

GCatholic.org

Prelature website

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tromso Roman Catholic dioceses in Nordic Europe Christian organizations established in 1931 Catholic Church in Norway Organisations based in Tromsø Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century Territorial prelatures 1931 establishments in Norway

History

Leadership

See also

References

Notes