The Catholic Church in the South Sea (Oceania, excluding the national episcopal conferences of Australia, of New Zealand, each with dependencies, and of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands) consists only of a variety of Latin jurisdictions, usually covering a whole island state (whether nation or overseas territory of a foreign power) or even more than one, none of which has a large enough episcopate to warrant a national episcopal conference, so they jointly form the Latin "Episcopal Conference of the [South] Pacific", headquartered in Suva (on Fiji). It comprises only:
- five transnational ecclesiastical provinces, each headed by a Metropolitan Archbishopric, with a total of eleven suffragans: eight bishoprics and -exceptionally, as those are generally exempt- three pre-diocesan (an apostolic prefecture and two independent missions)
- one exempt diocese, directly subject to the Holy See, on Tonga.
There are no proper Eastern Catholic jurisdictions or quasi-diocesan Ordinariates, but the Byzantine Rite Ukrainian Catholic Church faithful are served by the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne, in and for all Australia, also covering New Zealand and further Oceania.
There are no individual papal diplomatic representations to several British, French, Australian, New Zealand and US overseas possessions (strictly speaking diplomatically covered by the home countries), but the Apostolic Delegation to the Pacific Ocean, headquartered externally in Wellington, New Zealand, covers American Samoa, French Polynesia, Guam (US), New Caledonia (France), Niue (New Zealand), Norfolk Island (Australia, pastorally under its Sydney Archdiocese), Northern Mariana Islands (US), Pitcairn Islands (UK), Tokelau (NZ), the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands (pastorally served by the Archdiocese for the Military Services of the United States) and Wallis and Futuna (France). It also deals with independent Tuvalu.
There is formally an Apostolic Nunciature as papal diplomatic representation (embassy level) to Fiji, but it is vested in the Apostolic Nunciature to New Zealand, in its capital Wellington.
There is formally an Apostolic Nunciature to Cook Islands, but it is vested in the Apostolic Nunciature to associated mother country New Zealand in its capital Wellington.
There is formally an Apostolic Nunciature to each of the following nations, but they are all vested in the Apostolic Nunciature to New Zealand, in its capital Wellington:
Current Latin jurisdictions
editExempt
edit- Roman Catholic Diocese of Tonga, on and for all Tonga
Ecclesiastical province of Agaña
edit- Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña, on and for Guam (US unincorporated territory)
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Caroline Islands, on the Caroline Islands, for all the Federated States of Micronesia (Micronesia) and Palau
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Chalan Kanoa, on the Northern Mariana Islands and for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (U.S. territory)
- Apostolic Prefecture of the Marshall Islands, with see at Majuro, on and for the Marshall Islands (republic)
Ecclesiastical Province of Nouméa
edit- Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nouméa, on and for New Caledonia, French special collectivity)
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Port-Vila, on and for Vanuatu, former New Hebribes
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Wallis et Futuna, with see at Mata-Utu, on and for Wallis et Futuna (French overseas collectivity)
Ecclesiastical Province of Papeete
edit- Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Papeete, on and mainly for French Polynesia (French overseas collectivity), also for Pitcairn Islands (UK)
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Taiohae o Tefenuaenata, also in French Polynesia
Ecclesiastical Province of Samoa–Apia
edit- Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Samoa–Apia, on and for Samoa
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Samoa–Pago Pago, on and for American Samoa (US)
- Mission Sui Iuris of Funafuti, on and for Tuvalu (formerly Ellice Islands)
- Mission Sui Iuris of Tokelau, on and for Tokelau (New Zealand)
Ecclesiastical Province of Suva
edit- Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Suva, on and for Fiji
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Rarotonga, on the Cook Islands, for those and Niue (both New Zealand-associated countries)
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarawa and Nauru, with see at Tarawa on Kiribati (formerly Gilbert Islands), also for Nauru (republic).
Defunct jurisdictions
editThere are no titular sees.
Most defunct jurisdictions have current successor sees, except
See also
edit- List of Catholic dioceses (structured view)
- Catholic Church in Oceania
- Catholic Church in American Samoa
- Catholic Church in Cook Island
- Catholic Church in the Federated States of Micronesia
- Catholic Church in Fiji
- Catholic Church in Guam
- Catholic Church in Kiribati
- Catholic Church in the Marshall Islands
- Catholic Church in New Caledonia
- Catholic Church in New Zealand
- Catholic Church in the Northern Marianas
- Catholic Church in Samoa
- Catholic Church in Tonga
- Catholic Church in Tuvalu
- Catholic Church in Vanuatu
- Catholic Church in Wallis and Futuna
Sources and external links
edit- GCatholic - Episcopal Conference
- GCatholic - American Samoa
- GCatholic - Cook Island
- GCatholic - Fiji
- GCatholic - French Polynesia
- GCatholic - Guam
- GCatholic - Kiribati
- GCatholic - Marshall Islands
- GCatholic - Federated States of Micronesia
- GCatholic - New Caledonia
- GCatholic - Norfolk Island
- GCatholic - Northern Mariana Islands
- GCatholic - Pitcairn Islands
- GCatholic - Samoa (independent)
- GCatholic - Tokelau
- GCatholic - Tonga
- GCatholic - Tuvalu
- GCatholic - Vanuatu
- GCatholic - Wallis & Futuna