Eritrean Catholic Archeparchy of Asmara

Archeparchy of Asmara
Archieparchia Asmarensis

St. Joseph's Cathedral
Location
Country Eritrea
Ecclesiastical province Asmara
Statistics
Area 53,183 km2 (20,534 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics
(as of 2012)
3,934,000
67,314 (1.7%)
Parishes 58
Information
Denomination Eritrean Catholic Church
Rite Ge'ez Rite
Established 4 July 1930 (86 years ago)
Cathedral St. Joseph's Cathedral
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Archbishop Menghesteab Tesfamariam, M.C.C.I.
Map

The Eritrean Catholic Archeparchy of Asmara (Latin: Archieparchia Asmarensis) is the Metropolitan See for the ecclesiastical province of Asmara in Eritrea.

Its Metropolitan, currently archeparch Menghesteab Tesfamariam, is the head of the single-province Eritrean Catholic Church, which follows the Alexandrian Rite, like the Copts of Egypt. The Eritrean Catholic Church uses the Ge'ez language liturgically, like the neighboring Ethiopian Catholic Church, from part of whose jurisdiction the Eritrean Church was erected. It is the Eastern Catholic counterpart of the (Coptic) Eritrean Orthodox Church, which is headed by a patriarch, whose episcopal see is also in Asmara.

History

On 4 July 1930, Pope Pius XI established the Ordinariate of Eritrea. Pope Pius XII elevated it as the Apostolic Exarchate of Asmara on 31 October 1951. On 20 February 1961, Blessed John XXIII elevated it to an eparchy.

It lost territory on 21 December 1995 when the Eparchies of Barentu and Keren were established. It lost territory again in 2012 when the Eparchy of Segheneity was established.[1][2]

In January 2015, Pope Francis erected the metropolitan sui iuris Eritrean Catholic Church and elevated the Eparchy of Asmara to the dignity of Archeparchy.[3] All three aforementioned dioceses founded from Asmara's territory are now its suffragan eparchies.

Ordinaries

Ethiopian Catholic Church

Vicar Apostolic
Apostolic Exarchs
Eparchs

Eritrean Catholic Church

Metropolitan and archeparch

Suffragan dioceses

References

  1. "Eparchy of Asmara (Ethiopian)". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
  2. "Ethiopic Diocese of Asmara". GCatholic.org. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
  3. "Erezione della Chiesa Metropolitana sui iuris eritrea e nomina del primo Metropolita". Holy See Press Office. January 19, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2015.

External links

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