| Macedonian Greek Catholic Church | |
| Main Classification: | Eastern Catholic |
| Polity: | Episcopal |
| Structure: | Eparchy |
| Leader Title: | Pope |
| Leader Name: | Francis |
| Leader Title2: | Bishop |
| Leader Name2: | Kiro Stojanov[1] |
| Area: | North Macedonia |
| Liturgy: | Byzantine Rite |
| Headquarters: | Assumption of Mary Cathedral, Strumica, North Macedonia |
| Founder: | John Paul II |
| Founded Date: | 2001 |
| Separated From: | Macedonian Orthodox Church |
| Congregations: | 7 |
| Members: | 11,374 |
| Ministers: | 17 |
| Other Names: | Macedonian Greek Catholic Eparchy of the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed in Strumica-Skopje |
The Macedonian Greek Catholic Church or Macedonian Byzantine Catholic Church is a sui juris Eastern Catholic church in full union with the Catholic Church which uses the Macedonian language in the liturgy. The Macedonian Greek Catholic Church comprises a single eparchy, the Macedonian Catholic Eparchy of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Strumica-Skopje.[2]
An Apostolic Exarch was appointed for Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Macedonia as early as 1883 and lasting until 1922/1924 as part of the Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church.[3] After the end of World War I and the foundation of Yugoslavia, the Vicariate was absorbed into the Eparchy of Križevci.
In January 2001, a separate Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia was formed for Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in North Macedonia. It was separated from the Eparchy of Križevci and constituted as directly subject to the Holy See.[4] On the same day (11 January 2001) the Holy See appointed the Latin Bishop of Skopje as the first Apostolic Exarch of North Macedonia.[5]
, the Church's membership was estimated at approximately 11,374 faithful, with one bishop, 8 parishes, 16 priests, and 18 religious sisters.[6]
| Year | Members | Priests | Parishes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 10,000 | 10 | 8 | |
| 2001 | 6,320 | 9 | 5 | |
| 2002 | 11,000 | 8 | 5 | |
| 2003 | 11,367 | 8 | 5[7] | |
| 2004 | 11,367[8] | 9 | 5 | |
| 2005 | 11,398 | 9 | 5 | |
| 2006 | 11,483 | 8 | 5[9] | |
| 2007 | 11,491 | 8 | 5[10] | |
| 2008 | 15,175 | 10 | 6[11] | |
| 2009 | 15,041 | 11 | 7[12] | |
| 2010 | 15,037 | 11 | 7 | |
| 2016 | 11,336 | 16 | 8[13] | |
| 2017 | 11,374 | 16 | 8 |
Apostolic Exarchs
Eparchs of Strumica