The Archdiocese of Johannesburg (Latin: Ioannesburgum) is the a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the metropolitan see of an ecclesiastical province.
History
- June 4, 1886: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Transvaal from the Apostolic Vicariate of Natal
- September 16, 1904: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Transvaal
- April 9, 1948: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Johannesburg
- January 11, 1951: Promoted as Diocese of Johannesburg
- June 5, 2007: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Johannesburg
Special churches
- The cathedral is the Cathedral of Christ the King in Johannesburg.
- Regina Mundi Catholic Church in Moroka Soweto
Leadership
- William Miller, O.M.I. (September 17, 1904 – May 2, 1912)
- Charles Cox, O.M.I. (July 15, 1914 – July 14, 1924)
- David O'Leary (Bishop), O.M.I. (May 13, 1925 – November 25, 1950)
- William Patrick Whelan, O.M.I. (November 25, 1950 – January 11, 1951 see below)
- William Patrick Whelan, O.M.I. (January 11, 1951 - July 18, 1954), appointed Archbishop of Bloemfontein
- Hugh Boyle (July 18, 1954 – January 24, 1976)
- Joseph Patrick Fitzgerald, O.M.I. (January 24, 1976 – July 2, 1984), personal title of archbishop
- Reginald Joseph Orsmond (July 2, 1984 – May 19, 2002)
- Buti Joseph Tlhagale, O.M.I. (April 8, 2003 – June 5, 2007), personal title of archbishop
- Buti Joseph Tlhagale, O.M.I. (June 5, 2007 – October 28, 2024)
- Stephen Brislin (October 28, 2024 – )
Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic
- William Patrick Whelan, O.M.I. (1948–1950)
Auxiliary Bishops
- Peter Fanyana John Butelezi, O.M.I. (1972–1975), appointed Bishop of Umtata
- Zithulele Patrick Mvemve (1986–1994), appointed Bishop of Klerksdorp
- Reginald Joseph Orsmond (1983–1984), appointed Bishop here
- Duncan Theodore Tsoke (2016–2021), appointed Bishop of Kimberly
Other priests of this diocese who became bishops
- Peter John Holiday, appointed Bishop of Kroonstad in 2011
- Luc Julian Matthys (priest here, 1961–1976), appointed Bishop of Armidale, Australia in 1999
- Thomas Graham Rose, appointed Bishop of Dundee in 2008
Coat of Arms
By a decree of the Archbishop of 14 March 2025, the Archdiocese assumed a new Coat of Arms independent of its Archbishop. It is blazoned: "Azure, overall a pallium Argent charged with four crosses patée Sable, within a bordure Or, in chief a ChiRho Or encircled by a crown of the same, in dexter a Marian symbol MA of the same, in sinister a pick-axe and a shovel saltirewise of the same."[1]
Statistics
According to the Statistical Yearbook of the Church 2022 (Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae 2022, published in 2024), as at 31 December 2022, the statistics for the Archdiocese[2] are:
- Area: 14,517 km²
- Population: 1,139,200 Catholics (12.8% of 8,900,250 total)
- Pastoral Centres: 131 parishes, 1 mission
- Personnel: 176 priests (46 diocesan, 130 religious), 64 deacons, 455 religious (165 brothers, 290 sisters), 12 seminarians
Historical Statistics
| Year | Catholics | Total Population | Percent Catholic | Diocesan Priests | Religious Priests | Total Priests | Catholics Per Priest | Permanent Deacons | Male Religious | Female Religious | Parishes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vicariate Apostolic of Johannesburg | ||||||||||||
| 1950 | 90,459 | 2,024,888 | 4.50% | 9 | 87 | 96 | 942 | 47 | 655 | ap1951 | ||
| Diocese of Johannesburg | ||||||||||||
| 1970 | 263,812 | 3,500,000 | 7.50% | 30 | 140 | 170 | 1,551 | 212 | 749 | 40 | ap1971 | |
| 1980 | 336,682 | 3,383,000 | 10.00% | 32 | 149 | 181 | 1,860 | 1 | 221 | 663 | 100 | ap1981 |
| 1990 | 589,000 | 4,416,000 | 13.30% | 34 | 126 | 160 | 3,681 | 18 | 176 | 565 | 100 | ap1991 |
| 1999 | 700,000 | 6,000,000 | 11.70% | 47 | 112 | 159 | 4,402 | 43 | 158 | 438 | 104 | ap2000 |
| 2000 | 700,000 | 6,000,000 | 11.70% | 47 | 114 | 161 | 4,347 | 41 | 160 | 446 | 104 | ap2001 |
| 2001 | 700,000 | 6,000,000 | 11.70% | 48 | 116 | 164 | 4,268 | 39 | 166 | 447 | 104 | ap2002 |
| 2002 | 700,000 | 6,000,000 | 11.70% | 46 | 116 | 162 | 4,320 | 44 | 167 | 438 | 104 | ap2003 |
| 2003 | 700,000 | 6,000,000 | 11.70% | 46 | 114 | 160 | 4,375 | 44 | 165 | 438 | 104 | ap2004 |
| 2004 | 700,000 | 6,000,000 | 11.70% | 49 | 118 | 167 | 4,191 | 43 | 173 | 445 | 104 | ap2005 |
| 2006 | 704,000 | 6,036,000 | 11.70% | 49 | 120 | 169 | 4,165 | 43 | 176 | 437 | 104 | ap2007 |
| Archdiocese of Johannesburg | ||||||||||||
| 2013 | 918,456 | 7,710,000 | 11.91% | 44 | 137 | 181 | 5,074 | 50 | 173 | 361 | 130 | ap2014 |
| 2016 | 1,036,000 | 8,009,000 | 12.94% | 41 | 131 | 172 | 6,023 | 48 | 163 | 333 | 131 | ap2017 |
| 2017 | 1,064,445 | 8,228,845 | 12.94% | 46 | 132 | 178 | 5,980 | 61 | 172 | 314 | 133 | ap2018 |
| 2019 | 1,081,000 | 8,357,555 | 12.93% | 52 | 132 | 184 | 5,875 | 69 | 172 | 318 | 133 | ap2020 |
| 2021 | 1,112,360 | 8,690,460 | 12.80% | 51 | 127 | 178 | 6,249 | 60 | 165 | 310 | 133 | ap2022 |
| 2022 | 1,127,930 | 8,812,130 | 12.80% | 45 | 131 | 176 | 6,409 | 65 | 168 | 307 | 132 | ap2023 |
| 2023 | 1,139,200 | 8,900,250 | 12.80% | 46 | 130 | 176 | 6,473 | 64 | 165 | 290 | 132 | ap2024 |
| Source: Catholic-Hierarchy, which in turn takes the data from the Annuario Pontificio.[3] | ||||||||||||
Recent Number of Seminarians
| Year | Seminarians |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 19 |
| 2015 | 23 |
| 2017 | 21 |
| 2018 | 15 |
| 2020 | 19 |
| 2021 | 12 |
| 2022 | 12 |
Suffragan dioceses
References
- 1."Archdiocesan News - March 2025" (PDF). Archdiocese of Johannesburg. p. 4.
- 2."Archdiocese of Johannesburg". Catholic Hierarchy.
- 3.Cheney, David. "Archdiocese of Johannesburg". Catholic-Hierarchy. Kansas City. Retrieved 26 March 2025.