Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Alba Iulia explained

Jurisdiction:Archdiocese
Alba Iulia
Latin:Archidioecesis Albae Iuliensis
Local:Arhiepiscopia de Alba Iulia
Country: Romania
Metropolitan:Immediately Subject to the Holy See
Area Km2:58,254
Population:4,017,256
Population As Of:2015
Catholics:397,778
Catholics Percent:9.9
Parishes:253
Rite:Roman Rite
Established:1009
(As Diocese of Transilvania, Erdély, Siebenbürgen)
22 March 1932
(As Diocese of Alba Iulia)
5 August 1991
(Archdiocese of Alba Iulia)
Cathedral:St. Michael's Cathedral, Alba Iulia
Bishop:Gergely Kovács
Bishop Title:Archbishop
Suffragan:for one -->
Auxiliary Bishops:László Kerekes (elect)
Archdeacon:for one-->
Map:Romanian Roman-Catholic Church map.svg
Map Size:250px

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Alba Iulia (Latin: Archidioecesis Albae Iuliensis); Hungarian: Gyulafehérvári Római Katolikus Érsekség) is a Latin Church archdiocese in Transylvania, Romania.

History

It was established as a bishopric, the diocese of Transylvania also called Erdély (in Hungarian), or Karlsburg alias Siebenbürgen (in German), in 1009 by King Stephen I of Hungary and was renamed as the diocese of Alba Iulia on 22March 1932. It was raised to the rank of an archdiocese by Pope John Paul II on 5August 1991. It is exempt, i.e. directly subordinate to the Vatican, while the other Romanian dioceses form the Ecclesiastical Province of Bucharest.

Bishops

Ordinaries

Bishops
Archbishops

Auxiliary Bishops

Description

The archdiocese covers Transylvania proper - the counties of Alba, Bistrița-Năsăud, Brașov, Cluj, Covasna, Harghita, Hunedoara, Mureș, Sălaj and Sibiu.

The cathedral episcopal see is St. Michael's, in Alba Iulia city. It also has a minor basilica in Șumuleu Ciuc.

Population

11% of the inhabitants are Roman Catholic, with concentrations in parts of Harghita and Covasna counties. Catholic adherents are predominantly ethnic Hungarians.

External links

46.0676°N 23.57°W