List of Roman Catholic archbishops of Dhaka

Contents

The Archbishop of Dhaka is the head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dhaka, who is responsible for looking after its spiritual and administrative needs. As the archdiocese is the metropolitan see of the ecclesiastical province encompassing nearly all of the Dhaka Division,[1][2] the Archbishop of Dhaka also administers the bishops who head the suffragan dioceses of Dinajpur, Mymensingh, Rajshahi and Sylhet.[3] The current archbishop is Bejoy Nicephorus D'Cruze.[4][5]

The archdiocese began as the Apostolic Vicariate of Eastern Bengal, which was created on February 12, 1850.[6] Thomas Oliffe was appointed its first vicar. On September 1, 1886, the vicariate was elevated to the status of diocese by Pope Leo XIII. It was renamed as the Diocese of Dacca after its see in 1887. Augustin Louage was appointed its first bishop. On account of the population increase, the Holy See decided to elevate the diocese to the status of archdiocese on July 15, 1950.[3] Lawrence Leo Graner became the first archbishop of the newly formed metropolitan see.

Six men have been Archbishop of Dhaka; another Five were bishop of its predecessor diocese.[7] One of them was elevated to the College of Cardinals.[8] Theotonius Amal Ganguly, the eleventh ordinary of the archdiocese, was the first archbishop to be born in the Bangladesh, as well as the first born in Dhaka.[9] Patrick D’Rozario became the first cardinal from Bangladesh in 2016. Michael Rozario had the longest tenure as Archbishop of Dhaka, serving for 28 years from 1977 to 2005,[10] while Louage held the position for 42 months (1890–1894), marking the shortest episcopacy.[6]

List of ordinaries

Key
‡Denotes archbishop who was elevated to the College of Cardinals
CSCCongregation of Holy Cross
OMIMissionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
OSBOrder of Saint Benedict

Apostolic Vicars

FromUntilIncumbentNotesRef(s)
18501855Thomas OliffeAppointed on February 15, 1850. Transferred to Western Bengal on November 2, 1855.[11]
18551860Louis Verité, CSCAppointed Pro apostolic vicar on June 6, 1856.[2]
18601876Pierre Dufal, CSCAppointed on July 3, 1860. Resigned on July 28, 1876.[12][13]
18781886Jordan Ballsieper, OSBAppointed on April 5, 1878. Died on March 1, 1890.[14]

Bishops

FromUntilIncumbentNotesRef(s)
18901894Augustine Joseph Louage, CSCAppointed on November 21, 1890. Died on June 8, 1894.[15]
18941909Peter Joseph Hurth, CSCAppointed on June 26, 1894. Resigned on February 15, 1909.[16][17]
19091915Frederick Linneborn, CSCAppointed on February 13, 1909. Died on July 21, 1915.[17]
19161929Amand-Théophile-Joseph Legrand, CSCAppointed on August 16, 1916.[18] Retired on November 9, 1929. Died on April 10, 1937[19]
19291945Timothy Joseph Crowley, CSCCoadjutor bishop[20] from 1927 to 1929.[21] Died on October 2, 1945.[22]
19471950Lawrence Leo Graner, CSCAppointed on February 13, 1947[23][24]

Archbishops

FromUntilIncumbentNotesRef(s)
19501967Lawrence Leo Graner, CSCBecame the first Archbishop of Dhaka on July 15, 1950. Resigned on November 23, 1967. Died on April 21, 1982[25]
19671977Theotonius Amal Ganguly, CSCAuxiliary bishop from 1960 to 1965.[26] Coadjutor archbishop[20] from 1965 to 1967. Appointed on November 23, 1967. First archbishop to be born in Bangladesh and in Dhaka. Died on September 2, 1977.[27][9]
19772005Michael RozarioAppointed on December 17, 1977. Retired on July 9, 2005. Died on March 18, 2007.[10][28]
20052011Paulinus CostaAppointed on July 9, 2005. Retired on October 22, 2011. Died on January 3, 2015.[29][30]
20112020Patrick D'Rozario, CSC‡Coadjutor Archbishop[20] from 2010 to 2011. Elevated to cardinal on November 19, 2016. Retired on September 30, 2020[31][32][8]
2020presentBejoy Nicephorus D'Cruze, OMIAppointed on September 30, 2020.[5][33]

References

  1. 1.The Catholic Directory of Bangladesh. Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh. 1986.
  2. 2.[2.2]"Archdiocese of Dhaka, Bangladesh". www.ucanews.com. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  3. 3.[3.2]"Bangladesh, The Catholic Church in". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  4. 4."Bishop Bejoy D'Cruze new archbishop of Bangladesh". The Financial Express. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  5. 5.[5.2]"Resignations and Appointments". press.vatican.va. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  6. 6.[6.2]"Dacca". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  7. 7."Dhaka Diocese". www.cbcbsec.org. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  8. 8.[8.2]"Holy Cross Celebrates Cardinal Patrick D'Rosario in a Banquet at the Generalate". Congregation of Holy Cross. November 23, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  9. 9.[9.2]"Servant of God Theotonius Ganguly". Congregation of Holy Cross. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  10. 10.[10.2]"Archbishop Michael Rozario". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  11. 11.Barr, Colin (January 16, 2020). Ireland's Empire: The Roman Catholic Church in the English-Speaking World, 1829–1914. Cambridge University Press. p. 121. ISBN 978-1-107-04092-2.
  12. 12."Dufal, Pierre". www.tshaonline.org. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  13. 13."Past Superiors General". Congregation of Holy Cross. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  14. 14."Bishop Jordan Marie Joseph Ballsieper". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  15. 15."Bishop Augustin Joseph Louage". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  16. 16."Peter Joseph Hurth". Notre Dame Archives Inventory: HRT. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  17. 17.[17.2]Robinson, Gabrielle (June 17, 2003). German Settlers of South Bend. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4396-1385-6.
  18. 18.Legrand was appointed bishop on August 16, 1916, but only received episcopal consecration on November 5, 1916.
  19. 19."Bishop Amand-Théophile-Joseph Legrand". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  20. 20.[20.2][20.3]Under the Code of Canon Law, the coadjutor bishop has the right of succession (cum jure successionis) upon the death, retirement or resignation of the diocesan bishop he is assisting.
  21. 21.Crowley was appointed coadjutor archbishop on January 26, 1927, but only received episcopal consecration on May 1, 1927.
  22. 22."Bishop Timothy Joseph Crowley". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  23. 23.Graner was appointed bishop on February 13, 1947, but only received episcopal consecration on April 23, 1947.
  24. 24.Ahmed & Burrell 2018, p. 84.
  25. 25.Ahmed & Burrell 2018, p. 25.
  26. 26.Ganguly was appointed auxiliary bishop on September 3, 1960, but only received episcopal consecration on October 7, 1960.
  27. 27.Ahmed & Burrell 2018, p. 84–132.
  28. 28.Ahmed & Burrell 2018, p. 132–136.
  29. 29."Retired Dhaka Archbishop Paulinus Costa passes away". www.archivioradiovaticana.va. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  30. 30."Archbishop Emeritus Archbishop Paulinus Costa". www.ucanews.com. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  31. 31."D'ROZARIO Card. Patrick, C.S.C." press.vatican.va. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  32. 32."Bangladesh gets first Catholic cardinal". Dhaka Tribune. October 9, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  33. 33."Bishop Bejoy D'Cruze appointed new Archbishop of Dhaka". New Age. Retrieved November 27, 2020.