Diocese of Reykjavík
| Diocese of Reykjavík Dioecesis Reykiavikensis Biskupsdæmi Reykjavíkur | |
|---|---|
| Coat of arms
Coat of arms
| |
| Location | |
| Country | Iceland |
| Territory | Iceland |
| Ecclesiastical province | Directly subject to the Holy See |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi) |
| Population Total Catholics |
(as of 2022) 376,248 14,723 ( 3.9%) |
| Parishes | 9 |
| Churches | 18 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 18 October 1968 |
| Cathedral | Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King |
| Patron saint | Saint Thorlak |
| Secular priests | 6 |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| Bishop | Dávid Bartimej Tencer |
| Vicar General | Damian Wyżkiewicz |
| Website | |
| catholica.is | |
The Diocese of Reykjavík (Latin: Dioecesis Reykiavikensis) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church which covers the whole of the country of Iceland, and numbered 14,723 Catholics as of 2022.[1] It is directly subject to the Holy See.[2]
History
The Apostolic Prefecture of Iceland was created in 1923 and this was elevated to an Apostolic Administration in 1929, which in turn was elevated to the status of a diocese in 1968. In 2015 the then bishop, Pierre Bürcher retired and Father Dávid Bartimej Tencer, OFM Cap., was appointed to succeed him as the fifth bishop of the diocese. The bishop of Reykjavík participates in the Scandinavian Bishops Conference. The vicar general is Fr. Patrick Breen, rector of Landakot Cathedral, Christ the King Parish.
The Diocese of Reykjavík is a modern creation. The medieval church was represented by the sees of Skálholt (created 1056) and Hólar (1106), but these became Lutheran during the Reformation. (These two sees were amalgamated in 1801 into a single diocese under the Bishop of Iceland in the Lutheran Church of Iceland.) Iceland remained without Roman Catholic prelates until the Apostolic Prefecture was established at Reykjavík in 1923.[3]
Episcopal ordinaries
The following most recent heads of the Catholic Church in Iceland were bishops:
| No. | Bishop | Term | Appointor | Coat of arms | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | File:Martin Meulenberg.jpg | Martin Meulenberg | 1923 - 1941 | Pope Pius XI | File:Template-Bishop.svg |
| 2 | Jóhannes Gunnarsson | 1924 - 1967 | Pope Pius XII | File:Template-Bishop.svg | |
| No. | Bishop | Term | Appointor | Coat of arms | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hendrik Hubert Frehen | 1968 - 1986 | Pope Paul VI | File:Coat of arms of Hendrik Hubert Frehen.svg | |
| 2 | File:Alfred James Jolson (cropped).jpg | Alfred Jolson | 1987 - 1994 | John Paul II | File:Template-Bishop.svg |
| 3 | File:Johannes Gijsen (cropped).jpg | Joannes Gijsen | 1996 - 2007 | John Paul II | File:Coat of arms of Joannes Mathijs Gijsen.svg |
| 4 | Pierre Bürcher | 2007 - 2015 | Benedict XVI | File:Coat of arms of Pierre Bürcher.svg | |
| 5 | File:Biskup David Tencer.jpg | Dávid Bartimej Tencer | 2015- | Pope Francis | File:Coat of arms of David Bartimej Tencer.svg |
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See also
- Bishop of Reykjavík (Catholic)
- Christ the King Cathedral, Reykjavík (Iceland)
- Catholic Church in Iceland
- Religion in Iceland
- St. Thorlak Church, Reyðarfjörður
Canonical status and jurisdiction
Roman Catholic Diocese of Reykjavík is a diocese of the catholic church of the Catholic Church.[4]
External links
References
External links
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Reykjavík (in English and Icelandic)
- Statistics relating to the Diocese of Reykjavik
- Statistics relating to Iceland