Bulgarian Greek Catholic Eparchy of Sofia explained

Jurisdiction:Eparchy
Saint John XXIII of Sofia
Latin:Eparchia Sanctus Ioannes XXIII Sophiæ
Country: Bulgaria
Denomination:Catholic Church
Cathedral:Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sui Iuris Church:Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church
Bishop:Petko Valov
Website:http://www.kae-bg.org/

The Bulgarian Catholic Eparchy of Saint John XXIII of Sofia is an eparchy of the Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church which is a sui iuris ("autonomous") Eastern Catholic church based in Bulgaria. As a particular church of the Catholic Church, it is in full communion with the Holy See. The Church is organised as a single eparchy (equivalent to a diocese in the Latin Church).[1] [2] Its liturgical usage is that of the Byzantine Rite in the Bulgarian language. It was elevated from an Apostolic Exarchate to a full eparchy by Pope Francis on 12 October 2019.[3] The cathedral church of the eparchy is the Cathedral of the Dormition (Катедрала Успение Богородично Катедрала Успение Богородично), in Bulgaria's capital Sofia.

History

It was established in 1926 as Apostolic Exarchate of Sofia, on Bulgarian territory split off from the suppressed Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Constantinople and both its daughters Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Macedonia and Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Thrace (which also covered Greece, Turkey and Macedonia), reuniting the original Balkanic jurisdiction.

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally served 10,000 Bulgarian (Byzantine Rite) Catholics in 20 parishes with 17 priests (4 diocesan, 13 religious), 42 lay religious (15 brothers, 27 sisters) and 1 seminarian.

Ordinaries

Apostolic Exarchs of Sofia

Eparchs of Sofia

See also

Sources and external links

42.6913°N 23.3134°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bulgarian Church Eastern-Rite sui juris Catholic Church. 2023-06-09.
  2. Web site: Bulgarian Catholic Church of the Byzantine Tradition.
  3. https://sofiaglobe.com/2019/10/12/pope-francis-elevates-bulgarias-sofia-exarchate-to-an-eparchy-vatican/ Sofiaglobe.com
  4. Web site: Resignations and Appointments . 2024-04-09 . press.vatican.va.