The Apostolic Administration of Southern Albania constitutes an ecclesiastical territory comprising the Albanian Greek Catholic Church, which itself does not exclusively govern any episcopal jurisdictions.[4] Such claims have been questioned by some leading Eastern Catholic experts.[5]
History
Territory of the Apostolic Administration of Southern Albania
On 11 November 1939, the Holy See issued the papal bullInter regiones, establishing the Apostolic Administration of Southern Albania. Initially, it was created as a regular apostolic administration, for all Catholics in southern regions of Albania, both of Latin and Byzantine rites. Its territory was detached from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Durrës, and initially covered districts of Elbassan, Korca, Berat, Valona and Argyrocastro.[6]
From 1937 to 2024, the Apostolic Administration was served exclusively by priests supplied from the Diocese of Rimini, until the first local priest was ordained in 2024.[8]
