Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi explained

Jurisdiction:	Eparchy
Piana degli Albanesi
Latin:	Planensis Albanensium
Local:	Eparchia di Piana degli Albanesi Eparhia e Horës së Arbëreshëvet
Caption:	Cathedral of Saint Demetrius the Martyr
Country:	Italy
Province:	Immediately Subject to the Holy See
Population:	30,000
Population As Of:	2010
Catholics:	28,500
Catholics Percent:	95
Parishes:	15
Denomination:	Italo-Albanian Catholic Church
Rite:	Byzantine Rite
Established:	26 October 1937
Cathedral:	Cathedral of St Demetrius the Martyr (Piana degli Albanesi)
Cocathedral:	St. Mary of the Admiral (Palermo)
Patron:	Demetrius
Priests:	31
Bishop:	sedes vacans
Bishop Title:	Bishop
Apostolic Admin:	Francesco Montenegro
Emeritus Bishops:	Ercole Lupinacci, Sotir Ferrara
Map:	Eparchia di Piana degli Albanesi.png
Website:	eparchiapiana.org

The Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi (Italian: Eparchia di Piana degli Albanesi; Eparhia e Horës së Arbëreshëvet) is a eparchy (diocese) of the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church,^[1] Eastern Catholic sui iuris of Byzantine Rite, covering the island of Sicily in Italy.

History

On 6 February 1784, was established the Ordinariate of Silicia, the first jurisdiction with on ordinary for this particular church sui iuris, and appointed to it the first titular bishop of the Byzantine Rite for the Albanians of Sicily: Giorgio Stassi, Titular Bishop of Lampsacus. Before, the Albanians faithful and their Orthodox priests they had no right and were at risk in assimilation in the Roman rite. On 26 October 1937, the Eparchy of Piana dei Greci was created by promoting the Ordinariate of Silicia and transferring to it territories from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Palermo and Metropolitan Archdiocese of Monreale (both on Sicily). On 25 October 1941, the Eparchy (Diocese) of Piana dei Greci was renamed as Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi / Eparkia or Eparhia e Horës së Arbëreshëvet.^[2]

Territory

The Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi includes the comunes in province of Palermo: Contessa Entellina, Mezzojuso, Palazzo Adriano, Piana degli Albanesi and Santa Cristina Gela.

The eparchy see is the town of Piana degli Albanesi, where the Cathedral of Saint Demetrius the Martyr is located.

In Palermo, there is the Co-Cathedral of Saint Nicolas "dei Greci" to Martorana.^[2]

The territory is divided into 15 parishes.^[3]

Ordinaries of Italia continentale of the Italo-Albanese Catholic Church

• Giorgio Stassi † (25 June 1784 – 26 March 1802 deceased)^[4]
• Giuseppe Guzzetta † (March 29 1802 – 1813 deceased)^[4]
• Francesco Chiarchiaro † (23 September 1813 – 1834 deceased)^[4]
• Giuseppe Crispi † (20 December 1835 – 1859 deceased)^[4]
• Agostino Franco † (1860 – 1877 deceased)^[5]
• Giuseppe Masi † (29 January 1878 – 11 April 1903 died)^[6]
• Paolo Schirò † (5 February 1904 – 12 September 1941 deceased)^[7]

The bishops ordered from the Albanians of Sicily have been nominated for those Calabria:^[8]

• Agostino Franco † (1858–1859) from Mezzojuso^[9]
• Giuseppe Schirò † (30 July 1889 – 29 November 1896) from Contessa Entellina^[10]
• Giovanni Barcia † (24 April 1902 – 1912) from Palazzo Adriano^[11]

Bishops of Sicily

• Luigi Lavitrano † (26 October 1937 – 20 December 1946 resigned) (apostolic administrator)^[12]

• Ernesto Ruffini † (3 January 1947 – 11 June 1967 deceased) (apostolic administrator)
• Giuseppe Perniciaro † (12 July 1967 – 31 May 1981 resigned)
• Ercole Lupinacci † (25 March 1981 – 30 November 1987 appointed Eparchy of Eparchia Di Lungro / Lungro degli Italo-Albanesi)
• Sotìr Ferrara † (15 October 1988 – 8 April 2013 retired)
  • Paolo Romeo (8 April 2013 – 31 March 2015) (apostolic administrator)
• Giorgio Demetrio Gallaro (31 March 2015 – 25 February 2020 appointed secretary of Congregation for the Oriental Churches^[13])

See also

• Arbëreshë people

References

1. http://www.katolsk.no/utenriks/kronologi/orient_italoalbanian.htm Chronology of Catholic Dioceses: The Italo-Albanian Catholic Church
2. Web site: Diocese of Piana degli Abanesi. GCatholic.org. 27 December 2011.
3. Web site: Roberson. Ronald G.. The Eastern Catholic Churches 2010. Eastern Catholic Churches Statistics. Catholic Near East Welfare Association. 28 December 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120302155251/http://www.cnewa.us/source-images/Roberson-eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat10.pdf. 2 March 2012. dead.
4. [Titular Bishop]
5. already ordinating for the Albanians of Calabria, titular bishop of Ermopoli Maggiore.
6. Titular Bishop of Tempe.
7. Titular Bishop of Benda.
8. https://books.google.com/books?id=E-1gDwAAQBAJ&dq=vescovi+ordinanti+per+gli+albanesi+di+calabria&pg=PT256 Alberto Elli, a Brief history of the eastern catholic Churches (II.).
9. Titular Bishop of Ermopoli Maggiore.
10. Titular Archbishop of Neocesarea del Ponto.
11. Titular Bishop of Diocese of Croia.
12. In the period between 1937, the year of the erection of the eparchy, and in 1967 he was auxiliary bishop and vicar general, Giuseppe Perniciaro, titular bishop of Albania.
13. concurrently appointed Titular Archbishop of Tricala.

External links

• Eparchy Official site
• http://www.acioc-milano.org Italian Cultural Association for the Christian East – Milano Section
• GCatholic with incumbent bio links
• Catholic Hierarchy page
• Gentracer site (English)

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