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]
Diocese of Reykjavík Dioecesis Reykiavikensis Biskupsdæmi Reykjavíkur | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 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) 376,24814,723 (3.9%) |
| Parishes | 6 |
| 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 | Francis |
| Bishop | Dávid Bartimej Tencer |
| Vicar General | Patrick Breen |
| Website | |
| catholica.is | |
History
edit
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
editApostolic Prefecture of Iceland
edit- Martin Meulenberg, SMM (12 June 1923 – 3 August 1941)
- Jóhannes Gunnarsson, SMM (23 February 1942 – 14 October 1967)
Diocese of Reykjavík
edit- Hendrik Hubert Frehen, SMM (18 October 1968 – 31 October 1986)
- Alfred James Jolson, SJ (12 December 1987 – 21 March 1994)
- Joannes Gijsen (24 May 1996 – 30 October 2007)
- Pierre Bürcher (30 October 2007 – 18 September 2015)
- Dávid Bartimej Tencer, OFM Cap. (18 September 2015 – )
See also
editFootnotes
edit- ^ "Populations by religious and life stance organizations 1998-2022". Statistics Iceland. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
- ^ Catholic Hierarchy
- ^ New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia: Iceland
External links
edit- Roman Catholic Diocese of Reykjavík (in English and Icelandic)
- Statistics relating to the Diocese of Reykjavik
- Statistics relating to Iceland