Military Ordinariate of Slovakia | |
Local: | Vojenský ordinariát |
Country: | Slovakia |
Denomination: | Roman Catholic |
Rite: | Latin Rite |
Sui Iuris Church: | Latin Church |
Established: | 20 January 2003 (years ago) |
Bishop Title: | Bishop |
Bishop: | František Rábek |
The Military Ordinariate of Slovakia (Slovak: Vojenský ordinariát) is a Latin military ordinariate (pseudo-diocese) of the Roman Catholic Church for the Slovak armed forces.
It is exempt, i.e. immediately subject to the Holy See (not part of any ecclesiastical province and its Roman Congregation for Bishops. The Cathedral episcopal see is Katedrála sv. Šebastiána, dedicated to Saint Sebastian, in the Slovak national capital Bratislava, which in 2009 replaced the Cathedral of St. John of Matha and St. Felix of Valois (Katedrála sv. Jána a sv. Felixa z Valois), also in Bratislava.
The military ordinariate, without precursor, was established by Pope John Paul II on 20 January 2003, ten years after the country's independence by the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.
As per 2014, it provides pastoral care to Roman Catholics serving in the Slovak Armed Forces and their families in 56 parishes with 54 priests (46 diocesan, 8 religious), 1 deacon and 8 lay religious brothers.