Apostolic Vicariate of Anatolia

The Apostolic Vicariate of Anatolia (, ) is a Roman Catholic Latin apostolic vicariate in the eastern half of Anatolia (Asian Turkey).

The missionary pre-diocesan jurisdiction is not part of any ecclesiastical province. It is under the direction of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, an unusual structure for a Latin see, and directly dependent on the Holy See.

Its cathedral seat is the Marian Cathedral of the Annunciation in Ä°skenderun (Alexandria). It has the Co-Cathedral of St. Anthony of Padua in Mersin as well.

History

• Established originally on 13 March 1845 as the Apostolic Prefecture of Trabzon, named for its location on the Black Sea, not for any preceding jurisdiction.
• Suppressed on 12 September 1896, with its territory merged into the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ä°zmir in western Anatolia.
• Restored on 20 June 1931 as the Mission sui iuris of Trabzon, its territory taken from the Apostolic Vicariate of Constantinople.
• Promoted on 30 November 1990 as the Apostolic Vicariate of Anatolia, led by a titular bishop.

As of 2020, the vicariate, which covers 450k square kilometers, had six parishes and two missions to serve a thousand Turkish Christians as well as Christian refugees from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

Ordinaries

• Damiano da Viareggio, OFMCap (1845 – 1852)
• Filippo Maria da Bologna, OFMCap (1852 – 1881)
• Eugenio da Modica, OFMCap. (1881 – 12 September 1896)

• Michele da Capodistria, OFMCap (20 June 1931 – 9 March 1933)
• Giovanni Giannetti da Fivizzano, OFMCap (9 March 1933 – 1955)
• Prospero Germini da Ospitaletto, OFMCap (1955 – 1961)
• Michele Salardi da Novellara, OFMCap (1961 – 1966)
• Giuseppe Germano Bernardini, OFMCap (19 December 1966 – 30 November 1990)
• When Bernardini became archbishop of Ä°zmir in 1983, he continued here as apostolic administrator.

• Bernardini continued as apostolic administrator when the vicariate was erected on 30 November 1990
• Ruggero Franceschini, OFMCap (2 July 1993 – 11 October 2004)
• Luigi Padovese, OFMCap (11 October 2004 – 3 June 2010)
• Franceschini returned as apostolic administrator (12 June 2010 – 14 August 2015)
• Paolo Bizzeti, SJ (14 August 2015 – 25 November 2024)
• Antuan Ilgit SJ, apostolic administrator (25 November 2024-present)

See also

• Catholic Church in Turkey

References

Sources and external links

• GCatholic.org with incumbent bio links
• Catholic Hierarchy