Roman Catholic Diocese of Ghent explained

Jurisdiction:Diocese
Ghent
Latin:Dioecesis Gandavensis
Local:Bisdom Gent (Dutch)
Diocèse de Gand (French)
Bistum Gent (German)
Coat:Wapenschild Bisdom Gent.png
Country:Belgium
Province:Mechelen-Brussels
Metropolitan:Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels
Area Km2:2,995
Population:1,539,800
Population As Of:2021
Catholics:1,088,100
Catholics Percent:70.7
Denomination:Catholic Church
Rite:Roman Rite
Established:12 May 1559
Cathedral:St. Bavo's Cathedral in Ghent
Bishop:Lode Van Hecke, O.C.S.O.
Metro Archbishop:Josef De Kesel
Suffragan:for one -->
Archdeacon:for one-->
Emeritus Bishops:Arthur Luysterman (1991–2003)
Lucas Van Looy, SDB (2004–2019)
Map:BisdomGent.png

The Diocese of Ghent (Latin: Dioecesis Gandavensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Belgium. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels. The patron of the diocese is Saint Bavo of Ghent.

History

The diocese was erected in 1559 by papal bull Super universas to become independent of the Diocese of Tournai. Ghent had an important local administration and was the location of the Abbey of Saint Bavo, founded by Saint Amandus. However, this abbey was suppressed and the canons were removed, moving to the collegiate church of Saint John, and it changed its name to Saint Bavo. This collegiate church became the see of the current diocese. The diocese was created from the surrounding dioceses in Belgium.

Territorial structure

Originally, the diocese was much larger and contained the city of Hulst. Currently, the diocese is coextensive with the Belgian province of East Flanders, in addition to the municipality of Zwijndrecht, which is in the secular Province of Antwerp.

Administration

The diocese produced some important priests and clergy like Edward Poppe. The current bishop is Abbot Lode Van Hecke who was appointed by pope Francis in 2019. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels.

Saints

Ordinaries

The Bishop of Ghent is the ordinary of the Diocese of Ghent.

List of the bishops of the Diocese of Ghent, Belgium

TenureIncumbentDeviceReason for exit
11568–1576Cornelius Jansenius (1510–1576)[1] [2] [3] [4] StateDied[5] [6] [7]
21588Wilhelmus Damasus van der Linden (1525–1588)Quæ sursum quæriteDied
31590–1609Pieter Damant (1530–1609)Deum redamaDied
41610–1612Charles Maes (1559–1612)Deo duceDied
51613–1616Franciscus van der Burch (1567–1644)Unitas libertatis arsAppointed Archbishop of Cambrai
61617–1620Jacobus Boonen (1573–1655)Vince in bonoAppointed Archbishop of Mechelen
71622–1657Antoon Triest (1577–1657)ConfidenterDied
81660–1665Carolus van den Bosch (1597–1665)Crucierne crucierDied
91666–1673Eugeen-Albert, count d'Allamont (1609–1673)Patiens estoDied
101677–1679Frans van Horenbeke (1630–1679)Facere et docereDied
111679–1680Ignace Schetz de Grobbendonk (1625–1680)In labore quiesDied
121681–1694Albert de Hornes (1640–1694)Lex tua meditatione mea estDied
131695–1730Philips Erard van der Noot (1638–1730)Respice finemDied
141730–1741Jean-Baptiste de Smet (1674–1741)Caelestia cude armaDied
151743–1770 (1685–1770)Respice finemDied
161772–1778Govaart-Geeraard van Eersel (1713–1778)Ordinate et provideDied
171779–1795Ferdinand-Marie, prince von Lobkowitz (1726–1795)Ad haerere Deus bonumDied
181802–1807Stefaan-Andreas de Paula Fallot de Beaumont (1750–1835)Appointed Bishop of Piacenza, Italy
191807–1821Maurits-Jan-Magdalena, prince de Broglie (1766–1821)Died
201829–1838Jan Frans Van de Velde (1779–1838)Auxilium a dominoDied
211838–1864Louis-Joseph Delebecque (1798–1864)Monstra te esse MatremDied
221865–1888Henricus Franciscus Bracq (1804–1888)In nomine DominiDied
231888–1889Henri-Charles Lambrecht (1848–1889)Died
241890–1916Antoon Stillemans (1832–1916)Vivat JezusDied
251917–1927Emilius Seghers (1855–1927)Died
261927–1947Honoré Jozef Coppieters (1874–1947)Fide et CaritateDied
271947–1963Karel Justinus Calewaert (1893–1963)Caritate veritatisDied
281963–1991Léonce-Albert Van Peteghem (1916–2004)In Deo salutariRetired
291991–2003Arthur Luysterman (born 1932)In terra paxRetired
302004–2019Lucas Van Looy (born 1941)In nomine patrisRetired
312019–Lode Van Hecke[8] (born 1950)Cum gaudio spiritus sancti

Other affiliated bishops

Coadjutor Bishops

Auxiliary Bishops

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Spurgeon . The Treasury of David . 1990 . Hendrickson Publishers . 978-1-56563-945-4 . en.
  2. Book: Spurgeon, Charles Haddon . Psalm 53-78 . 1886 . Funk & Wagnalls . en.
  3. Book: Pereira . José . The Mystical Theology of the Catholic Reformation: An Overview of Baroque Spirituality . Fastiggi . Robert L. . 2006 . University Press of America . 978-0-7618-3513-4 . en.
  4. Book: Gerace, Antonio . Biblical Scholarship in Louvain in the 'Golden' Sixteenth Century . 2019-07-15 . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht . 978-3-647-59378-4 . en.
  5. Book: J . Rev A. J. Maas S. . The Gospel According to Saint Matthew With an Explanatory and Critical Commentary . Press . Aeterna . Aeterna Press . en.
  6. Book: Americana, Encyclopaedia . Encyclopædia Americana, ed. by F. Lieber assisted by E. Wigglesworth (and T.G. Bradford). . 1831 . en.
  7. Book: Munsell, Joel . The Every Day Book of History and Chronology . 2022-09-05 . DigiCat . en.
  8. News: Lode Van Hecke nieuwe bisschop van Gent. 27 November 2019. De Standaard.