Roman Catholic Archdiocese of İzmir

Archdiocese of İzmir

Archidioecesis Smyrnensis

İzmir Başpiskoposluğu
St. John's Cathedral
Location
Country Turkey
Ecclesiastical provinceİzmir
Statistics
Population
- Catholics		(as of 2022)
5,000
Parishes10
Information
DenominationRoman Catholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
Established18 March 1818
CathedralSt. John's Cathedral
Patron saintPolycarp
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
ArchbishopMartin Kmetec
Bishops emeritusRuggero Franceschini
Lorenzo Piretto
Map

The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of İzmir (Latin: Archidioecesis Smyrnensis) is a Latin archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Asian Turkey (Anatolia).

The archdiocese's cathedral motherchurch and thus see of its archbishop is St. John's Cathedral. It also includes a World Heritage Site: Meryem Ana Evi Meryem Ana Evi, Bülbüldağı.

Martin Kmetec OFMConv, was appointed Archbishop of İzmir by Pope Francis on 8 December 2020.

History

In 1346 was established a Latin Archdiocese of Smyrna (Smirne). In 1575 it was suppressed as residential see but immediately transformed into a Latin titular archbishopric. The title was held by:

  • Eugenio di Pesaro, OESA (1575.11.16 – ?)
  • Agostino Buzio di Varese, OFM (1580.07.04 – ?)
  • Carlo Gaudenzio Madruzzo (1595.10.23 – 1600.04.02) (later Cardinal)

In 1625 the residential see was restored, but demoted to missionary pre-diocesan jurisdiction, as the Apostolic Vicariate of Smyrna.

It was promoted to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of İzmir by Pope Pius VII on 18 March 1818, though it lacked the suffragan sees that normally constitute the ecclesiastical province under a metropolitan archdiocese.

On 12 September 1896 it gained territory from the suppressed Apostolic Prefecture of Trabzon, on 20 July 1931 it lost territory to the Diocese of Chios (insular Greece).

It has been visited by Pope Paul VI in July 1967, Pope John Paul II in November 1979, and Pope Benedict XVI in November 2006.

According to the current bishop, around 5,000 Catholics live in the diocese, though the number could be higher if one factors in refugees and migrants. "They mainly live in the inner-city areas of İzmir and other large cities. We have communities also in Konya, Antalya and other cities along the coast. In terms of geographical area, our archdiocese is very large, comprising about 100,000 square kilometres. The last parish that belongs to us is Konya, which is located about 550 kilometres from İzmir; its southern counterpart is Antalya, which is about 450 kilometres away. That shows you how great the distances are."[1]

Ordinaries

(all Roman Rite)

Crusader age

Archbishops of Smyrna (Smirne)
  • Guillaume Adam, OP (1318 – 1322.10.06), later Archbishop of Soltania (1322.10.06 – 1324.10.26), Metropolitan Archbishop of Bar (Montenegro) (1324.10.26 – death 1341)
  • Benedetto (1343 – ?)
  • Paolo di Tebe (1345.07.10 – 1357.05.15), later Metropolitan Archbishop of Thebae (Thebes, Greece) (1357.05.15 – 1366.04.17), Latin Titular Patriarch of Constantinople (1366.04.17 – death 1370), Apostolic Administrator of Patrasso (1367.10.20 – 1370)
  • Pietro da Piacenza, OFM (1358.01.31 – 1362.03.04), later Archbishop-Bishop of Olena (1362.03.04 – ?)
  • Tommaso di Savignon, OFM (1362.06.10 – ?)
  • Raimondo di San Michele, OCarm (1373.02.14 – ?)
  • Giorgio Dalmato, OCarm (1379.09.06 – ?)
  • Giovanni di Berriaco, OESA (1386.10.10 – ?)
  • Giovanni di Leicester, OCarm (1398 – ?)
  • Paolo (1410 – ?)
  • Francesco di Monte Granelli, OFM (1412.06.04 – ?)

Modern age

Apostolic Vicars of Smyrna (Smirne)

  • Pietro de Marchi, OP (1625.02.19 – death 1648.07.13), previously Bishop of Santorini (insular Greece) (1611.04.18 – 1625.02.19)
  • Giacinto Subiani, OP (1648.07.13 – 1652.03.05), Titular Archbishop of Edessa (1644.11.14 – 1648.07.13), succeeding as former Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Smyrna (1644.11.14 – 1648.07.13), later Apostolic Vicar of Constantinopole (Turkey) (1652.03.05 – 1656.10.15)
  • Leone Macripodari (1659.04.05 – 1689)
  • Antonio Giustiniani (1690.01.13 – 1694.02.08), later Bishop of Syros (Greece) (1694.02.08 – 1701.01.24), Apostolic Administrator of Diocese of Andros (insular Greece) (1698.05.02 – ?), Metropolitan Archbishop of Naxos (insular Greece) (1701.01.24 – death 1730.03)
  • Apostolic Administrator Daniel Duranti, OFM. (1696.06.07 – 1706?; see below), while Metropolitan Archbishop of Skopje (Macedonia) (1690.12.11 – 1702.07.29)[2][3]
  • Fr. Nicolaus de Camillis (1706.05.12 – 1710.05.07), later Bishop of Syros (Greece) (1710.05.07 – 1710 not possessed)
  • Apostolic Administrator Daniel Duranti, OFM. (see above 1708.06.23 – 1713.08.17), retired Metropolitan Archbishop of Skopje (Macedonia)
  • Davide di San Carlo, OCD (1713.11.23 – death 1715.04.18)
  • Filippo Bavestrelli (1715.08.09 – 1720.09.30), later Bishop of Chios (insular Greece) (1720.09.30 – death 1754.04.06)
  • Pietro Battista di Garbagnate, OFMRef (1718.04.09 – 1720.06.15), emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Cartagine (1720.06.15 – death 1730.04.11)
  • Pietro Francesco Lombardi, OFMRef (1720.08.30 – 1721.07.05), emeritate as Titular Bishop of Talia (1721.07.05 – death 1722)
  • Bishop-elect Antonio Maturi, OFM (1722.04.15 – 1731.05.21), later Bishop of Syros (Greece) (1731.05.21 – 1733.04.13), Metropolitan Archbishop of Naxos (Greece) (1733.04.13 – 1749.07.21), Archbishop-Bishop of above Syros (1749.07.21 – death 1750.10)
  • Dario de Longhis, OFM (1730.09.02 – 1735.05.25), later Bishop of Syros (Greece) (1735.05.25 – retired 1748.07.27)
  • Gerolamo di Peraino, OFMRef (1735.02.05 – 1747)
  • Joannes Baptista Bavestrelli (1747.05.12 – 1754.09.16), later Bishop of Chios (insular Greece) (1754.09.16 – 1772.08.31), emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Heraclea (1772.08.31 – death 1777.04.20)
  • Eusebio Franzosini, OP (1754.12.20 – 1763)
  • Domenico di Valdagno, OFMRef (1763.08.26 – 1779)
  • Pietro Graveri di Moretta, OFMObs (1779.12.23 – 1781.08.17)
  • Giulio Maria Pecori d’Ameno, OFM (1781.08.18 – 1788.09.23), later Titular Bishop of Aradus (1788.09.23 – death 1796.02.28) and Apostolic Vicar of Constantinopole (Turkey) (1788.09.23 – 1796.02.28)
  • Pasquale Orlandini da Bergamo, OFMRef (1790.04.16 – 1817.06.26)
  • Bishop-elect Luigi Maria Cardelli, OFMRef (1817.06.26 – 1818.03.18 see below), succeeding as former Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Smyrna (? – 1817.06.26)

Metropolitan Archbishops of İzmir (Smyrna)

See also

References

  1. ^ ACN (2022-05-04). "Turkey: A "church with open doors" in an Islamic society". ACN International. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
  2. ^ Franciscan Studies. Franciscan Institute, St. Bonaventure University. 1987. p. 308.
  3. ^ Troisième et dernière Encyclopédie théologique. J.P. Migne. 1863. p. 453.
  4. ^ a b "Rinunce e Nomine, 07.11.2015" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 7 November 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
Additional sources

38°25′43″N 27°08′23″E / 38.4285°N 27.1396°E / 38.4285; 27.1396