Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Strasbourg
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Strasbourg is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church
in France
.
The archdiocese is unique in France as it has no suffragans and is immediately subject to the Holy See
in Rome.
The Diocese of Strasbourg was first mentioned in 343 and belonged to the ecclesiastical province
of the Archbishopric of Mainz
since Carolingian
times. Archeological diggings below the current Église Saint-Étienne in 1948 and 1956 have unearthed the apse
of a church dating back to the late 4th century or early 5th century, and considered the oldest church in Alsace. It is supposed that this was the first seat of the Diocese. Since the 15th century, the diocesan seat has been the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Strasbourg.
The bishop was the ruler of an ecclesiastical principality in the Holy Roman Empire
during the Middle Ages and Early Modern period. For this state, see Bishopric of Strasbourg.
The diocese was elevated to an archdiocese on 1 June 1988 by Pope John Paul II
, but is not metropolitan of an ecclesiastical province
. The current archbishop is Jean-Pierre Grallet, in office since April 2007; see also Archbishops of Strasbourg
. The bishop of this see is appointed by the French president.
31 December 2003, the archdiocese comprised a total of 762 parish
es covering an area of 8,280 km² with 1,713,416 inhabitants of which 75.9% (1,300,000) are Catholics. Also, 619 diocese priests, 50 deacons, 288 ordained priests and 1,728 nuns belong to the Archbishopric of Strasbourg
.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
The archdiocese is unique in France as it has no suffragans and is immediately subject to the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
in Rome.
The Diocese of Strasbourg was first mentioned in 343 and belonged to the ecclesiastical province
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
of the Archbishopric of Mainz
Archbishopric of Mainz
The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780–82 and 1802. In the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz was the primas Germaniae, the substitute of the Pope north of the Alps...
since Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
times. Archeological diggings below the current Église Saint-Étienne in 1948 and 1956 have unearthed the apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
of a church dating back to the late 4th century or early 5th century, and considered the oldest church in Alsace. It is supposed that this was the first seat of the Diocese. Since the 15th century, the diocesan seat has been the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Strasbourg.
The bishop was the ruler of an ecclesiastical principality in the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
during the Middle Ages and Early Modern period. For this state, see Bishopric of Strasbourg.
The diocese was elevated to an archdiocese on 1 June 1988 by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, but is not metropolitan of an ecclesiastical province
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
. The current archbishop is Jean-Pierre Grallet, in office since April 2007; see also Archbishops of Strasbourg
Archbishops of Strasbourg
These persons were bishop, archbishop or prince-bishop of the Archbishopric of Strasbourg:*Amandus*Justinus von Straßburg*Maximinus von Straßburg*Valentinus*Solarius*Arbogast*Florentius*Ansoaldus*Biulfus*Magnus von Straßburg*Aldo*Garoinus*Landbertus...
. The bishop of this see is appointed by the French president.
31 December 2003, the archdiocese comprised a total of 762 parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es covering an area of 8,280 km² with 1,713,416 inhabitants of which 75.9% (1,300,000) are Catholics. Also, 619 diocese priests, 50 deacons, 288 ordained priests and 1,728 nuns belong to the Archbishopric of Strasbourg
Archbishopric of Strasbourg
- External links :* *...
.
Ordinaries
- Leopold Erzherzog von ÖsterreichLeopold V, Archduke of AustriaLeopold V, Archduke of Further Austria was the son of Archduke Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria, and the younger brother of Emperor Ferdinand II, father of Ferdinand Charles, Archduke of Further Austria...
† (24 Nov 1607 Succeeded - 19 Apr 1626 Resigned) - Leopold Wilhelm Erzherzog von ÖsterreichArchduke Leopold Wilhelm of AustriaArchduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria was an Austrian military commander, Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1647 to 1656, and a patron of the arts.-Biography:...
† (10 Oct 1626 Appointed - 2 Nov 1662 Died) - Franz Egon Fürst von FürstenbergFranz Egon of FürstenbergFranz Egon of Fürstenberg , bishop of Strasbourg, was the elder son of Egon VIII of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg , who served with distinction as a Bavarian general in the Thirty Years' War....
† (19 Jan 1663 Appointed - 1 Apr 1682 Died) - Wilhelm Egon Fürst von Fürstenberg † (8 Jun 1682 Appointed - 10 Apr 1704 Died)
- Armand-Gaston-Maximilien de Rohan de Soubise † (10 Apr 1704 Succeeded - 19 Jul 1749 Died)
- François-Armand-Auguste de Rohan-Soubise-Ventadour † (19 Jul 1749 Succeeded - 28 Jun 1756 Died)
- Louis-César-Constantin de Rohan-Guémené-Montbazon † (23 Sep 1756 Appointed - 11 Mar 1779 Died)
- Louis-René-Edouard de Rohan-Guéménée † (11 Mar 1779 Succeeded - 29 Nov 1801 Resigned)
- Jean-Pierre Saurine † (9 Apr 1802 Appointed - 7 May 1813 Died)
- Gustave-Maximilien-Juste de Croÿ-Solre † (8 Aug 1817 Appointed - 4 Jul 1823 Appointed, Archbishop of RouenArchbishop of RouenThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen is an Archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. As one of the fifteen Archbishops of France, the ecclesiastical province of the archdiocese comprises the majority of Normandy....
) - Claude-Marie-Paul Tharin † (23 Aug 1823 Appointed - 16 Nov 1826 Resigned)
- Jean-François-Marie Le Pappe de Trévern † (13 Dec 1826 Appointed - 27 Aug 1842 Died)
- Andreas (André) Räß (Raess) † (27 Aug 1842 Succeeded - 17 Nov 1887 Died)
- Pierre-Paul Stumpf † (17 Nov 1887 Succeeded - 10 Aug 1890 Died)
- Adolf Fritzen (Fitzen) † (24 Jan 1891 Appointed - 31 Jul 1919 Retired)
- Charles-Joseph-Eugène Ruch † (23 Apr 1919 Appointed - 29 Aug 1945 Died)
- Jean-Julien Weber, P.S.S. † (29 Aug 1945 Succeeded - 30 Dec 1966 Retired)
- Léon-Arthur-Auguste Elchinger † (30 Dec 1966 Succeeded - 16 Jul 1984 Retired)
- Charles Amarin Brand (16 Jul 1984 Appointed - 23 Oct 1997 Retired)
- Joseph Pierre Aimé Marie Doré, P.S.S. (23 Oct 1997 Appointed - 25 Aug 2006 Resigned)
- Jean-Pierre Grallet,O.F.M. (21 Apr 2007 Appointed - present)
External links
- Official site of the diocese
- Official site of the cathedral
- Archbishopric of Strasbourg at Catholic Hierarchy.org
- Image of the cathedral
