List of Catholic dioceses in Belgium

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Roman Catholic dioceses in Belgium

A diocese, also known as a bishopric, is an administrative unit under the supervision of a bishop, of which there are currently 8 in the Belgian Catholic Church. The 8 dioceses are divided into 1 ecclesiastical province and 7 suffragan dioceses, but also one military ordinariate,[1] which was created as military vicariate in 1957, and elevated to a military ordinariate in 1986.[2]

Since December 1961, following the restructuring of the Catholic dioceses in Belgium, the Archdiocese of Mechelen was renamed the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels. This newly created archdiocese is the primatial see of Belgium and the centre of the ecclesiastical province governed by the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels, which covers the whole of Belgium.[3]

There are also a few former Roman Catholic dioceses in Belgium, including the Dioceses of Eupen-Malmedy and Ypres, but also the ancient Diocese of Thérouanne. The latter was split between the Dioceses of Saint-Omer, Boulogne and Ypres after the Council of Trent's reform of sees.

In Belgium, most dioceses coincide with a province, but there are a few exceptions.

List of Roman Catholic dioceses in Belgium[edit]

Ecclesiastical Province of Mechelen-Brussels[edit]

Diocese Coat of arms Territory Cathedral[4] Bishop (consecration)[5] Founded
Antwerp
Province of Antwerp (except for 9 municipalities) Cathedral of Our Lady
(1559-1801; since 1961)[6] 		Johan Bonny (2009)[7] 1961 (restored)[8]
Bruges Province of West Flanders St. Salvator's Cathedral
(since 1834)[9] 		Lodewijk Aerts (2016) 1834 (restored)[10]
Hasselt Province of Limburg St. Quentin's Cathedral
(since 1967)[11] 		Patrick Hoogmartens (2004) 1967[12]
Ghent
Province of East Flanders + Zwijndrecht St. Bavo's Cathedral
(since 1559)[13] 		Lode Van Hecke O.C.S.O (2020) 1559[14]
Liège
Province of Liège St. Paul's Cathedral
(since 1794)[15] 		Jean-Pierre Delville (2013)[16] 4th century (Civitas Tungrorum)[17]
Mechelen-Brussels
Mechelen, Brussels-Capital Region, Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant St. Rumbold (Mechelen) (Primatial cathedral)
St. Michael and Gudula (Brussels) (Co-cathedral) 		Luc Terlinden (2023)[18] 1559
Namur Namur and Luxembourg St Aubin's Cathedral Pierre Warin 1559
Tournai Hainaut Cathedral of Our Lady Guy Harpigny 1146

Exempt (directly subject to the Holy See)[edit]

Diocese Flag Jurisdiction Seat Ordinary Founded
Military Ordinariate Members of Belgian Armed Forces and their families Church of St. James on Coudenberg vested in the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels 1957

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Belgium - All Dioceses". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  2. ^ "Military Ordianariate of Bisdom bij de Krijgsmacht". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels {Malines-Brussels}". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Cathedrals". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  5. ^ "De Bisschoppenconferentie van België". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  6. ^ "De Kathedraal". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Benoît XVI a nommé Mgr Johan Bonny nouvel évêque pour le diocèse d'Anvers (Belgique)". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Bisdom Antwerpen". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  9. ^ "Sint-Salvatorskathedraal". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  10. ^ "Bisdom Brugge". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  11. ^ "Sint-Quintinuskerk - Sint-Quintinuskathedraal". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  12. ^ "Bisdom Hasselt". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  13. ^ "Sint-Baafskathedraal". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  14. ^ "Bisdom Gent". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  15. ^ "Cathédrale Saint-Paul de Liège". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  16. ^ "Jean-Pierre Delville, nouvel évêque de Liège: "C'est une surprise" (vidéos)". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  17. ^ "Bisdom Luik". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  18. ^ Decroubele, Peter (3 September 2023). "Luc Terlinden, de nieuwe aartsbisschop met een bijna onmogelijke missie". vrtnws.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
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