Ordinariate for Catholics of Armenian Rite in Greece

The Ordinariate for Catholics of Armenian Rite in Greece or Armenian Catholic Ordinariate of Greece (informally Greece of the Armenians ) is an Armenian Catholic Church ecclesiastical territory or ordinariate for the faithful of eastern rite of the Catholic Church for its faithful in Greece.

Ordinariate for Catholics of Armenian Rite in Greece
Location
CountryGreece
Ecclesiastical provinceImmediately exempt to the Holy See
Statistics
Population
- Catholics
(as of 2013)
200
Parishes2
Information
DenominationCatholic Church
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteArmenian Rite
Established21 December 1925
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
PatriarchKrikor Bedros XX Gabroyan
BishopSede vacante
CoadjutorHovsep Bezazian, Apostolic Administrator

It is exempt to the Holy See, specifically to the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and is not part of any ecclesiastical province.

History

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The ordinariate was established on December 21, 1925, by Pope Pius XI[1] to serve Armenian Catholics who arrived in Greece during the First World War. This Armenian Catholic Ordinariate of Greece was created to the particular church sui iuris had no proper Ordinary.

From 1950 to 2002, the ordinariate, shaped by its diaspora situation, increased from 450 to 550 Armenian Catholic Christians, cared for by the only diocesan priest of the Ordinariate in the only municipality in the country.

Between January 7, 2003, and March 21, 2015, the Armenian bishop of Isfahan (Iran) was the Apostolic Administrator of the Ordinariate.

Territory and statistics

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The Ordinariate extends its jurisdiction over the Armenian Catholics of the whole Greece. There are 200 Catholics belonging to this ordinariate.[citation needed]

Its cathedral is the Armenian Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator, in the episcopal see and Greek capital Athens. Another parish is present in Nikaia.[2][3]

Ordinaries

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(all Armenian Rite)

Ordinaries of Greece

Sources

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  • Annuario Pontificio, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Città del Vaticano, 2003, ISBN 88-209-7422-3.

References

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