Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Esztergom–Budapest explained

Jurisdiction:Archdiocese
Esztergom-Budapest
Latin:Archidioecesis Strigoniensis-Budapestinensis
Local:Esztergom–Budapesti Főegyházmegye
Country: Hungary
Territory:Esztergom-Budapest
Province:Esztergom-Budapest
Area Km2:1,543
Area Sqmi:595
Population:2,078,000
Population As Of:2016
Catholics:1,249,000
Catholics Percent:60.1
Parishes:188
Denomination:Catholic Church
Sui Iuris Church:Latin Church
Rite:Roman Rite
Established:10th century
(Archdiocese of Esztergom)
31 May 1993
(As Archdiocese of Esztergom–Budapest)
Cathedral:Primatial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of Mary and St Adalbert (Esztergom Basilica)
Cocathedral:St. Stephen's Basilica
Patron:Saint Stephen I
Metro Archbishop:Cardinal Péter Erdő
Suffragans:Diocese of Győr, Diocese of Székesfehérvár
Auxiliary Bishops:Martos Levente Balázs
Gábor Mohos,
Kornél Fábry
Archdeacon:for one-->
Emeritus Bishops:Gáspár Ladocsi
Map:Ungheria - Arcidiocesi di Esztergom-Budapest.jpg
Map Size:250px

The Archdiocese of Esztergom–Budapest (Latin: Archidioecesis Strigoniensis–Budapestinensis) is a Latin Church archdiocese and primatial seat of the Catholic Church in Hungary and the metropolitan see of one of Hungary's four Latin Church ecclesiastical provinces.

The archdiocese's archbishop retains the title of "Primate", which gives this see precedence over all other Latin Hungarian dioceses, including the fellow Metropolitan Archbishops of Eger, Kalocsa–Kecskemét and Veszprém, but the incumbent may be individually (and temporarily) outranked if one of them holds a (higher) cardinalate. Its current Archbishop is Péter Erdő.

Duality and special churches

Its double name reflects that it has (co-)cathedral sees in two major Hungarian cities, the old primatial archiepiscopal seat Esztergom and the present national capital Budapest. These two prominent cities fall under the tutelage of one archdiocese due to Hungary's early history wherein Esztergom was one of the former capitals of the Kingdom of Hungary (much larger than the present republic – roughly the eastern half of the Habsburg monarchy).

The archiepiscopal Cathedral and primatial see is Nagyboldogasszony és Szent Adalbert főszékesegyház, in Esztergom-Vár.

The co-cathedral, a minor basilica and World Heritage Site, is St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest-Szentistvánváros.

The archdiocese has a second minor basilica, Kisboldogasszony-templom, Máriaremete, at Székesfehérvár, in Fejér county.

Statistics

As of 2016, it pastorally served 1,249,000 Catholics (60.1% of 2,078,000 population) covering 1,543 km2 in 188 parishes and 28 missions with (in 2014) 435 priests (254 diocesan, 181 religious), 23 deacons, 725 lay religious (266 brothers, 459 sisters) and 38 seminarians.

Ecclesiastical province

The Metropolitan's suffragan sees are the Latin bishops of:

The former Roman Catholic Diocese of Hajdúdorog, until then also its suffragan, was elevated in 2015 to Hungarian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Hajdúdorog (Eastern Catholic archdiocese), now the Metropolitan (with two suffragans in his own province) in chief of the Hungarian Greek Catholic Church, of Byzantine Rite.

History

It was founded in 1001 by Stephen I of Hungary, as the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Esztergom, on Hungarian territories split off from the dioceses of Nitra, Passau and Regensburg (the latter two with sees in Bavaria, southern Germany). It had a uniquely prominent status, giving the archbishop the title of prince primate, and the privilege of crowning the kings of Hungary.[1]

The Cathedral of Saint Adalbert was consecrated in 1010.[1] The archdiocese lost territory in 1227 to establish the Diocese of Milcovia, but in 1542 gained territory back from the suppressed Diocese of Milcovia.

The archbishop and chaplaincy relocated to Nagyszombat in 1543 before Esztergom fell to the Ottoman Empire. Saint Nicolas Church served as the cathedral. Ottoman occupation of the archdiocese made pastoral care difficult and Protestant teachings spread. Archbishop Miklós Oláh re-established the Esztergom cathedral school at Nagyszombat, and in 1561 invited the Jesuits to administer it.[1]

In 1619, Primate Péter Pázmány founded the Pázmáneum in Vienna as a seminary to train Hungarian candidates for the priesthood.[2] in 1776, the archdiocese was split to establish the suffragan sees of Banská Bystrica, Rožňava and Spiš. In 1820, the episcopal see returned to Esztergom. Work began to restore the cathedral in 1822. The upper church was consecrated in 1856 and saw the premier of Franz Liszt's Missa solennis.

In June 1912, the archdiocese lost territory with the establishment of the Eparchy of Hajdúdorog (as its suffragan; now a Byzantine rite Metropolitan Archeparchy) and in May 1922 to establish the Apostolic Administration of Trnava. In 1938 the 34th International Eucharistic Congress was held in Budapest. In 1948 Cardinal József Mindszenty was arrested and imprisoned by the government. Freed during the short-lived Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Mindszenty was granted political asylum at the United States embassy in Budapest when the Russians invaded.

In August 1991, the archdiocese received a papal visit from Pope John Paul II. Diocesan boundaries were redrawn in 1993 and the Archdiovese renamed the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Esztergom–Budapest, having gained territory from Diocese of Székesfehérvár (which became its suffragan) and Diocese of Vác. St. Stephen's Basilica was named co-cathedral.

List of archbishops

Metropolitan Archbishops of Esztergom–Budapest

Auxiliary episcopate

See also

Sources and external links

47.7989°N 18.7364°W

Notes and References

  1. https://www.visitesztergom-budapest.hu/en/historical-background "Historical Background", Esztergom-Budapest Archdiocese Tourism Office
  2. http://pazmaneum.katolikus.hu/?page_id=21&lang=en "History", Collegium Pazmanianum

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