Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dhaka

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dhaka (Latin: Archidioecesis Dhakensis)[1] is the Latin, main Metropolitan Metropolitan diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Bangladesh, but no longer the only one. It still depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

There is also a Diocese of Dhaka (and a Bishop of Dhaka) in the united Church of Bangladesh.

Archdiocese of Dhaka

Archidioecesis Dhakensis

ঢাকা মহাধর্মপ্রদেশ
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Dhaka
Location
Country Bangladesh
Ecclesiastical provinceDhaka
Statistics
Area14,193 km2 (5,480 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics (including non-members)		(as of 2013)
23,339,945
62,780 (0.3%)
Parishes18
Information
DenominationRoman Catholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
Established19 October 1982 (as Archdiocese of Dhaka)
CathedralSt. Mary's Cathedral, Dhaka
Patron saintImmaculate Conception
Secular priests125
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
ArchbishopBejoy Nicephorus D'Cruze
SuffragansDiocese of Dinajpur
Diocese of Mymensingh
Diocese of Rajshahi
Diocese of Sylhet
Auxiliary BishopsShorot Francis Gomes
Bishops emeritusPatrick D'Rozario

The archdiocese's Marian mother church and thus seat of its archbishop is St. Mary's Cathedral in the national capital Dhaka. As senior Metropolitan in Bangladesh, it is the principal episcopal see of that country. As of 2013 the Archbishop of Dhaka is Cardinal Patrick D'Rozario, formerly Bishop of Chittagong, having been appointed Coadjutor Archbishop by Pope Benedict XVI on November 2010, and succeeded Archbishop Paulinus Costa in October 2011.

Ecclesiastical province

Its ecclesiastical province still has as suffragan sees

On 2 February 2017, it lost as suffragans the newly created Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chittagong and both its suffragan sees: Barisal and Kulna.

History

It was erected it as the Apostolic Vicariate of Eastern Bengal by Pope Pius IX on 12 February 1850.[1]

It was promoted as Diocese of Eastern Bengal on 1 September 1886,[1] and renamed as the Diocese of Dacca after its see in 1887.[1]

On 25 May 1927 it lost territory to establish the Diocese of Chittagong, as its suffragan, but since 2017 itself a Metropolitan.

It was elevated to Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dacca by Pope Pius XII on 15 July 1950,[1]

On 17 January 1952 it lost territory to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Haflong.

It enjoyed its papal visit, from Pope Paul VI, in November 1970.

Pope John Paul II renamed it as the Archdiocese of Dhaka on 19 October 1982.[2]

It enjoyed a second papal visit from Pope John Paul II in November 1986.

It lost territory on 15 May 1987 to establish the Diocese of Mymensingh and on 8 July 2011 again to establish the Diocese of Sylhet, as its suffragans.

Leadership

Ordinaries
Main article: List of Roman Catholic archbishops of Dhaka

Below is a list of individuals who have led the Archdiocese of Dhaka and its antecedent jurisdictions since its founding.

Apostolic Vicars of Eastern Bengal
  • Thomas Oliffe (1850–1855), appointed Apostolic Vicar of Western Bengal
  • Fr. Louis Verité (1855–1860), as Pro-Apostolic Vicar
  • Pierre Dufal (1860–1876), resigned; in 1878, appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Galveston, U.S.
  • Giordano Ballsieper (1878–1886)

Bishops of Dhaka

Archbishops of Dacca

Archbishops of Dhaka

Coadjutor bishops

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.[3][4][5] All coadjutor ordinaries eventually succeeded to become head of the Archdiocese of Dhaka or its antecedent jurisdictions.

Auxiliary Bishops

Unlike coadjutors, auxiliary bishops do not have the right of succession, per canon 975, §1 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law.[3]

  • Theotonius Amal Ganguly (1960–1965), appointed coadjutor of this archdiocese
  • Shorot Francis Gomes (2016-)
  • Theotonius Gomes (1996-2014)

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally served 64,960 Catholics (0.3% of 23,539,280 total) on 12,000 km² in 18 parishes and 14 missions with 115 priests (42 diocesan, 73 religious), 695 lay religious (132 brothers, 563 sisters) and 17 seminarians.

Year Catholics Diocesan priest Parishes
200070,8214219
201562,7805218

See also
  • Roman Catholicism in Bangladesh
  • List of Roman Catholic dioceses in Bangladesh

References
  1. "Archdiocese of Dhaka". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  2. Dhaka (Archdiocese) in Catholic Hierarchy
  3. "Code of Canon Law – Book II, Part II, Section II, Title I". Holy See Press Office. Holy See. 25 January 1983. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  4. Van Hove, A. (1913). "Bishop". In Charles George Herbermann (ed.). The Original Catholic Encyclopedia. 2. Robert Appleton Company. p. 581. Archived from the original on 14 January 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  5. Agnew, Paddy; McGarry, Patsy (5 May 2012). "Vatican may appoint bishop to aid Brady". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 6 May 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2012.

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