Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kaunas
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Archdiocese of Kaunas
Archidioecesis Kaunensis
Kauno Arkivyskupija
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Kaunas Cathedral, the mother church of the Archdiocese
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| Location | |
| Country | Lithuania |
| Statistics | |
| Area | Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2013) 665,000 533,000 (80.2%) |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Latin |
| Established | 1417 (As Diocese of Žemaičiai) 4 April 1926 (As Archdiocese of Kaunas) |
| Cathedral | Cathedral Basilica of St Peter and St Paul |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Lionginas Virbalas |
| Suffragans | Diocese of Šiauliai, Diocese of Telšiai, Diocese of Vilkaviškis |
| Auxiliary Bishops | Kęstutis Kėvalas |
| Emeritus Bishops | Sigitas Tamkevičius |
| Map | |
| Map of the Archdiocese Map of the Archdiocese |
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| Website | |
| Website of the Diocese | |
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kaunas (Latin: Archidioecesis Kaunensis) is a Latin archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Lithuania.
It is based in Kaunas, the second-largest city in Lithuania. The archdiocese's motherchurch and cathedral archiepiscopal see is Kaunas Cathedral Basilica; it also houses a Minor Basilica in a town of Šiluva, in the region of Samogitia. The current Archbishop is Lionginas Virbalas, Jesuit (S.J.), appointed by Pope Francis on June 11, 2015.
History
The future diocese of Kaunas was established on 24 October 1417 as the Diocese of Žemaitija or Żmudź (Polish) or Telshi or Samogitia with a see in Medininkai according to directions from the Council of Constance.
On 1798.03.25 it lost territory to establish the Diocese of Wigry. On 1848.07.03 it gained territory from the persisting then Diocese of Vilnius, now Lithuania's other Metropolitan see. On 1920.06.09 it lost territory to the existing Diocese of Riga, in 1921 it gained territory from the persisting Diocese of Sejny.
The Apostolic constitution, issued by Pius XI, intended to structure the diocesan territories in accordance with the actual boundaries of Lithuanian Republic after the Declaration of Independence in 1918. Due to fact, that the Lithuanian capital city Vilnius and the eastern parts of the country were seized by Polish troops in 1920 and annexed by Poland in 1922, Kaunas became not only the Temporary capital of Lithuania but also was promoted by Pope Pius XI on April 4, 1926 into the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kaunas, initially with as suffragan sees Vilkaviškis and Telšiai in the new Lithuanian ecclesiastical province. The then diocese of Vilnius was also elevated into a Metropolitan Archbishopric with its ecclesiastical province on temporarily Polish areas.
It enjoyed a Papal Visit from Pope John Paul II in September 1993. On 28 May 1997, parts of the archdiocese have been ceded to the newly founded suffragan Diocese of Šiauliai.
Province
Its ecclesiastical province comprises the Metropolitan's own archbishopric and the following suffragan sees :
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Šiauliai
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Telšiai
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Vilkaviškis
Episcopal Ordinaries
(all Roman Rite)
- Suffragan Bishops of Samogitia
- See List of bishops of Samogitia.
- Suffragan Bishops of Žemaitija
- Matthias di Trakai (1417.10.23 – 1422.05.04), later Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1422.05.04 – death 1453.05.09)
- Mikalojus Trakiškis (1423.08.06 – death 1434.03)
- Petras da Leopoli (1434.09.20 – death 1435.09)
- Jokūbas Vilnietis (1436.05.18 – death 1439.06.08)
- Baltramiejus Pultuskietis (1440 – death 1453.10.26)
- Jurgis Vilnietis (1453.12.19 – death 1464.02.25)
- Motiejus Topolietis (1464.08.08 – death 1470.04.24)
- Baltramiejus Svirenkavičius (1471.02.13 – death 1482)
- Martynas di Samogizia (1483.02.21 – death 1492)
- Martynas Lintfaras (Marcin Lintfari) (1492.10.08 – death 1515)
- Mikalojus Radvila (Mikołaj Radziwiłł) (1521.07.18 – death 1530.11.03)
- Mikalojus Vizgaila (Mikołaj Wieżgajło) (1531.02.15 – death 1533.01.19)
- Vaclovas Virbickis (Wacław Wierzbicki) (1534.04.13 – death 1555.07.18)
- Jonas Domanovskis (Jan Domanowski) (1556.04.13 – death 1563.11)
- Stanislovas Narkuskis (Stanisław Narkuski) (1564.06.21 – death 1564.09)
- Viktorinas Virbickis (Wiktoryn Wierzbicki) (1565.06.08 – 1567.08.22), later Bishop of Luck and Włodzimierz (Ukraine) (1567.08.22 – 1586)
- Jurgis Petkūnas Petkevičius (Jerzy Pietkiewicz) (1567.11.14 – death 1574.07)
- Merkelis Giedraitis (Melchior Giedroyć) (1576.01.16 – death 1609.04.06)
- Mikalojus Pacas (Mikołaj Pac) (1610.03.29 – retired 1618.11.26), previously Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1602.09.09 – 1610.03.29 & Titular Bishop of Modon (1602.09.09 – 1610.03.29)
- Stanislovas Kiška (Stanisław Kiszka) (1618.11.26 – death 1626.02.13)
- Abraomas Voina (Abraham Woyna) (1626.07.20 – 1631.03.24), previously Titular Bishop of Modon (1611.05.25 – 1626.07.20) & Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1611.05.25 – 1626.07.20); later Bishop of Vilnius (1631.03.24 – death 1649.04.14)
- Merkelis Elijaševičius Geišas (Melchior Elijaszewicz Geisz) (1631.06.11 – death 1633.01.28)
- Jurgis Tiškevičius (Jerzy Tyszkiewicz) (1633.12.19 – 1649.12.09), previously Titular Bishop of Modon (1627.05.17 – 1633.12.19) & Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1627.05.17 – 1633.12.19); later Bishop of Vilnius (1649.12.09 – death 1656.01.17)
- Petras Parčevskis (Piotr Parczewski) (1649.12.09 – death 1658.12.06), previously Bishop of Smolensk (Russia) (1636.09.01 – 1649.12.09)
- Aleksandras Kazimieras Sapiega (Aleksander Kazimierz Sapieha) (1660.01.12 – 1667.07.18), previously Titular Bishop of Modon (1655.08.02 – 1660.01.12) & Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1655.08.02 – 1660.01.12); later Bishop of Vilnius (1667.07.18 – death 1671.05.22)
- Kazimieras Pacas (Kazimierz Pac) (1667.10.03 – death 1695), previously Bishop of Smolensk (Russia) (1664.01.14 – 1667.10.03)
- Jonas Jeronimas Krišpinas-Kiršenšteinas (Jan Hieronim Kryszpin-Kirszensztein) (1695.09.19 – death 1708.07.14), previously Titular Bishop of Martiria (1696.01.02 – 1706.01.25) & Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1696.01.02 – 1710.07.21)
- Jonas Mikalojus Zgierskis (Jan Mikołaj Zgierski) (1710.07.21 – death 1713.12.06), previously Titular Bishop of Martiria (1696.01.02 – 1706.01.25) & Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1696.01.02 – 1710.07.21) and next Bishop of Smolensk (Russia) (1706.01.25 – 1710.07.21)
- Povilas Pranciškus Sapiega (Paweł Franciszek Sapieha), Cistercians (O. Cist.) (1715.01.21 – death 1715.10.01)
- Aleksandras Mikalojus Gorainis (Aleksander Mikołaj Horain) (1716.12.07 – death 1735.12.07), previously Titular Bishop of Tiberias (1704.09.15 – 1711.12.23) & Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1704.09.15 – 1711.12.23), Bishop of Smolensk (Russia) (1711.12.23 – 1716.12.07)
- Juozapas Mykolas Karpis (Józef Michał Karp) (1736.11.19 – death 1739.12.10)
- Antanas Tiškevičius (Antoni Dominik Tyszkiewicz) (1740.09.16 – death 1762.01.31), previously Titular Bishop of Mennith (1739.07.20 – 1740.09.16) & Auxiliary Bishop of Kyiv–Černihiv (Ukraine) (1739.07.20 – 1740.09.16)
- Dominykas Lopacinskis (Jan Dominik Łopaciński) (1762.04.19 – death 1778.01.11)
- Bishop Jan Stefan Giedroyć (1778.03.30 – retired 1802.05.13), previously Titular Bishop of Verinopolis (1763.08.22 – 1765.04.22) & Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1763.08.22 – 1765.04.22), Bishop of Inflanty (Latvia) (1765.04.22 – 1778.03.30)
- Juozapas Arnulfas Giedraitis (Józef Arnulf Giedroyć) (1802.05.13 – death 1838.07.17), succeeding as former Coadjutor Bishop of Žemaitija ([1790.12.04] 1791.04.11 – 1802.05.13 & Titular Bishop of Orthosia (1791.04.11 – 1802.05.13)
- Apostolic Administrator Simonas Mikalojus Giedraitis (Szymon Michal Józef Arnold Giedroyć) (1838.07.17 – 1844.08.07), former Titular Bishop of Adramyttium (1804.08.20 – 1838.07.17), Auxiliary Bishop of Žemaitija (1804.08.20 – 1829.12) and Coadjutor Bishop of Žemaitija (1829.12 – 1838.07.17, not formally succeeding)
- Jonas Krizostomas Gintila (1844.08.07 – 1849.09.28 not possessed)
- Motiejus Valančius (Maciej Kazimierz Wołonczewski) (1849.09.28 – death 1875.05.29)
- Apostolic Administrator Aleksandras Kazimieras Beresnevičius (Aleksander Kazimierz Bereśniewicz) (1875.05.30 – 1883.03.15), Titular Bishop of Maximianopolis (1858.09.27 – 1883.03.15), former Auxiliary Bishop of Žemaitija (1858.09.27 – 1875.05.30); later Bishop of Kujawy–Kaliska (Poland) (1883.03.15 – 1902.06.04)
- Mečislovas Leonardas Paliulionis (Mieczysław Leonard Pallulon) (1883.03.15 – death 1908.05.02)
- Gaspar Felicjan Cyrtowt (1910.04.07 – death 1913.09.20), previously Titular Bishop of Castoria (1897.07.21 – 1910.04.07) & Auxiliary Bishop of Žemaitija (1897.07.21 – 1910.04.07)
- Pranciškus Karevičius, Marian Fathers (M.I.C.) (1914.02.27 – 1926.03.23), emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Scythopolis (1926.03.23 – 1945.05.30)
- Metropolitan Archbishops of Kaunas
- Archbishop Juozapas Skvireckas (1926.04.05 – death 1959.12.03) , previously Titular Bishop of Ceramus (1919.03.10 – 1926.04.05) & Auxiliary Bishop of Kaunas (1919.03.10 – 1926.04.05)
- Soviet era semi-vacancy (1959–1989) : After Archbishop of Kaunas Juozapas Skvireckas left Kaunas with retreating German forces in 1944 into exile, the archdiocese was governed by the following capitular vicars and Apostolic administrators, who experienced continuous restrictions and persecutions of Soviet authorities :
- ? Stanislovas Jokūbauskis (1944–1947)
- ? Juozapas Stankevičius (1947–1965)
- Juozapas Matulaitis-Labukas (Apostolic Administrator 1965.11.24 – 1979.05.28)
- Liudvikas Povilonis (Apostolic Administrator 1979.05.28 – 1988.04.27)
- Juozas Preikšas (Apostolic Administrator 1988.04.27 – 1989.03.10)
- Cardinal Vincentas Sladkevičius, Congregation of Marian Fathers (M.I.C.) (1989.03.10 – retired 1996.05.04), previously Titular Bishop of Abora (1957.11.14 – 1988.06.28), Auxiliary Bishop of Kaišiadorys (Lithuania) (1957.11.14 – 1982.07.15), Apostolic Administrator of Kaišiadorys (1982.07.15 – 1989.03.10); also President of Episcopal Conference of Lithuania (1988 – 1993); created Cardinal-Priest of Spirito Santo alla Ferratella (1988.06.28 – death 2000.05.28)
- Archbishop Sigitas Tamkevičius, Society of Jesus (S.J.) (1996.05.04 – retired 2015.06.11), also President of Episcopal Conference of Lithuania (1999.11.03 – 2002.09.20), Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Lithuania (2002.09.20 – 2005.09.20), President of Episcopal Conference of Lithuania (2005.09.20 – 2014.10.28); previously Titular Bishop of Turuda (1991.05.08 – 1996.05.04) & Auxiliary Bishop of Kaunas (1991.05.08 – 1996.05.04)
- Archbishop Lionginas Virbalas, S.J. (2015– .. ), also Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Lithuania (2014.10.28 – 2015.06.11); previously Bishop of Panevėžys (Lithuania) (2013.06.06 – 2015.06.11)
References
Source and External links
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