Catholic Church in Morocco
The Catholic Church in Morocco is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.
There are around 20,000 Catholics in Morocco, most of them are European expatriates, with a big majority of French and Spanish from colonization and post-independence, the second group is composed of Sub-Saharan immigrants, mainly students. Aside from Arabic, all of the Europeans can speak Spanish and French, which are also spoken by Catholic Arabs, Berbers, and Moors, and these languages are used in the celebration of Mass, in prayer meetings, and in education. There are very few converts from Islam, the dominant religion and when they exist, they keep their faith secret. Conversions of Muslims to Roman Catholicism (either proselytization or apostasy, and often through marriage) were often in colonial period because laws against such conversions didn't exist yet, although such converts have tended to move to France or Spain to escape onerous social pressure from the overwhelmingly Muslim Moroccan population. Catholics account for only about two-thirds of one tenth of a percent of the overall population of over 31 million. The country is divided into two archdioceses; Rabat and Tangier.
Cathedrals and churches
Casablanca
- Church of Our Lady of Lourdes
- Church of Anfa-Maarif
- Church of Carmel Saint Joseph
- Church of Christ the King
- Church of Saint Francis of Assisi
- Sacré Coeur Cathedral
- Church of Saint James
Rabat
- St. Peter's Cathedral
- Church of Saint Pius X
- Church of Saint Francis of Assisi
- Our Lady of Peace
Tangier
- Holy Spirit (Parroquia del Espiritu Santo)
- Our Lady of the Assumption
Agadir
- Church of Saint Anne
Marrakech
- Church of the Holy Martyrs
Meknes
- Notre Dame des Oliviers
Fes
- Church of Saint Francis of Assisi
El Jadida
- Church of Saint Bernard
Archdiocese of Rabat
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rabat is divided into 4 regions
- Region of Rabat
- Region of Casablanca
- Region East
- Region South
Archdiocese of Tangier
Chronology of Catholic Dioceses
- 40-100 Toledo - Spain (Tamazgha, Morocco)
- 300-400 Toledo (Metr.) - Spain (Tamazgha, Morocco)
- 1226 Fez (established from Toledo) - Morocco
- 1234 Marrakech (in part continuation of the Fez diocese) - Morocco
- 1417 Ceuta (detached from Marrakech) - (Portuguese Morocco) Spain
- 1469 Tanger / Tangier (detached from Ceuta, and from Marrakech) - Morocco
- 1487 Safim (detached from Marrakech before 1487) - (Portuguese Morocco) Morocco
- 1542 Safim (incorporated in Tanger) - (Portuguese Morocco) Morocco
- 1566 Marrakech (suppressed) - Morocco
- 1570 Tanger (suppressed) - (Portuguese Morocco) Morocco
- 1630 Marocco / Marueccos (AP, See in Tanger) - (State of Fez, State of Morocco)
- 1645 Ceuta (vacant) - Spain (for further history: see Spain)
- 1908 Marocco / Marueccos (AV) - (Spanish Morocco, French Morocco) Morocco
- 1923 Rabat (AV, detached from Marocco) - (French Morocco) Morocco
- 1955 Rabat (AD) - Morocco
- 1956 Tanger (AD, and new name, previously Marocco) - Morocco
- Reference Chronology of Catholic Dioceses: Morocco
External links
- Roman Catholic Church in Morocco
- Archdiocese of Rabat
- Archdiocese of Tangier
- Moroccan Conference of Catholic Bishops
Other
(AECAM: Aumônerie des Etudiants Catholiques au Maroc)
(Enseignement Catholique au Maroc)
- Church Directory of Morocco
- Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Morocco". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- Church of Saint Andrew, Tangier (Anglican Church of Morocco)