Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Alba Iulia

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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 22 March 1932.

It was raised to the rank of an archdiocese by Pope John Paul II on 5 August 1991. It is exempt, i.e. directly subordinate to the Vatican, while the other Romanian dioceses form the Ecclesiastical Province of Bucharest.

Bishops

Ordinaries

  • (?) Franco (1071–1081)
  • Simon (1111–1113)
  • Peter (1134)
  • Baranus (1139)
  • Walter (1156–1157/8)
  • Vilcina (1166–1169)
  • Paul (1181)
  • Adrian (1192–1201)
  • William (1204–1221)
  • Raynald of Belleville (1222–1241)
  • Artolf (1244–1245)
  • Gallus (1246–1269)
  • Peter Monoszló (1270–1307)
  • Benedict (1309–1319)
  • Demetrius (1368–1376)
  • Goblinus (1376–1386)
  • János Statileo (1534–1542)
  • Pál Bornemissza (1553–1556)
  • Demeter Naprágyi (1597–1605)
  • József Batthyány (1759–1760)
  • József Anton Bajtay (1760–1772)
  • Piusz Manzador (1772–1774)
  • László von Kollonich (1775–1780)
  • Ignác Batthyány (1780–1798)
  • Sándor Rudnay (1815–1819)
  • Lajos Haynald (1852–1863)
  • Áron Márton (1938–1980)
  • Lajos Bálint (1990–1991)

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