Sarah Mitchell
As of June 21, 2024, the Catholic Church has 3,172 ecclesiastical jurisdictions worldwide, including over 652 archdioceses and 2,249 dioceses. The establishment of a diocese is influenced by factors such as Catholic population density and financial considerations. For example, historical inertia has resulted in a higher number of dioceses in countries like Ireland and Italy. On the other hand, the Reformation led to the disappearance of dioceses in northern Europe for centuries. In the United States, there are 194 archdioceses and dioceses, including the Archdiocese for the Military Services and the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, which serves former Anglicans. The Catholic Church's global structure includes various types of jurisdictions, such as apostolic vicariates, apostolic exarchates, apostolic administrations, and military ordinariates, reflecting the diverse nature of Catholic communities around the world.
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What You'll Learn
Catholic dioceses in the United States
As of June 21, 2024, the Catholic Church comprised 3,172 ecclesiastical jurisdictions worldwide, including 652 archdioceses and 2,249 dioceses.
In the United States, there are 194 archdioceses and dioceses, as well as the Archdiocese for the Military Services, which serves members of the US Armed Forces and their dependents. The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter, established in 2012, serves former Anglicans who have joined the Catholic Church. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the assembly of the Catholic Church hierarchy in the US and the US Virgin Islands.
The Catholic Church in the US has a total of 196 particular churches in the 50 US states, Washington, D.C., and the US Virgin Islands. There are 33 territorial archdioceses and 143 territorial dioceses. The Virgin Islands have two archeparchies and 16 eparchies in the Eastern Catholic Churches.
Most provincial and diocesan boundaries in the US conform to state, county, or borough political boundaries. The sui iuris Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church each have an ecclesiastical province consisting of an archeparchy and three eparchies. The boundaries of these jurisdictions generally conform to state boundaries.
Eastern Catholic Churches have their own liturgical, legal, and organizational systems and are identified by their national or ethnic character. They are considered fully equal to the Latin tradition within the Church in the United States.
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Catholic dioceses in Europe
As of June 21, 2024, the Catholic Church has 3,172 ecclesiastical jurisdictions worldwide, including over 652 archdioceses and 2,249 dioceses. There are Catholic dioceses all around the world, including in Europe.
In Europe, there are a large number of dioceses principally centred in the countries of Italy, Spain, France, Ireland, and Poland. Italy has the largest number of dioceses per capita of any country. Andorra and San Marino are part of neighbouring foreign dioceses, covered by the Spanish and Italian conferences, respectively. A single conference covers the five Nordic countries, and dioceses in Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Monaco are not part of any episcopal conference. In the British Isles, one conference covers the whole of Ireland, a second covers England and Wales (and the crown dependencies), and a third conference covers Scotland.
- Diocese of Sant Feliu de Llobregat
- Diocese of Terrassa
- Archdiocese of Burgos
- Diocese of Bilbao
- Diocese of Osma-Soria
- Diocese of Palencia
- Archdiocese of Madrid
- Diocese of Alcalá de Henares
- Diocese of Getafe
- Archdiocese of Mérida-Badajoz
- Diocese of Coria-Cáceres
- Diocese of Plasencia
- Archdiocese of Oviedo
- Diocese of Astorga
- Diocese of León
- Diocese of Santander
- Archdiocese of Pamplona y Tudela
- Diocese of Calahorra and La Calzada-Logroño
- Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela
- Diocese of Lugo
- Diocese of Mondoñedo-Ferrol
- Diocese of Ourense
- Diocese of Tui-Vigo
- Archdiocese of Seville
- Diocese of Cádiz and Ceuta
- Diocese of the Canaries
- Diocese of Córdoba
- Diocese of Huelva
- Diocese of Jerez de la Frontera
- Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna
- Ordinariate for Byzantine-rite Catholics in Austria
- Military Ordinariate of Belgium
- Military Ordinariate of Austria
- Military Ordinariate of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Diocese of Copenhagen
- Diocese of Helsinki
- Ordinariate for Eastern Catholics in France
- Italo-Albanese Diocese of Lungro
- Diocese of Płock
- Diocese of Warszawa-Praga
- Apostolic Prefecture of Yuzhno Sakhalinsk
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Catholic dioceses in South America
As of June 21, 2024, the Catholic Church comprised 3,172 ecclesiastical jurisdictions worldwide, including over 652 archdioceses and 2,249 dioceses.
The Catholic Church in South America began with the Spanish and Portuguese colonization of the Americas and continues to this day. The vast majority of Latin Americans are Christians (90%), most of whom are Catholics belonging to the Latin Church. In 2012, Latin America was the world's second-largest Christian population, after Europe.
In South America, the Jesuits created "reductions" or "reducciones de indios", which were Christian Native American city-states. These were societies set up according to an idealized theocratic model. The Jesuits protected the natives from enslavement by certain Spanish and Portuguese colonizers, and their priests founded several towns in Brazil in the 16th century, including São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. They also played a significant role in the pacification, religious conversion, and education of Indian nations.
The Ordinariate for Eastern Catholics in Argentina is vested in the Latin Church Metropolitan Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Similarly, the Ordinariate for Eastern Catholics in Brazil is vested in various Latin Church Metropolitan sees.
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Catholic dioceses in Asia
As of June 21, 2024, the Catholic Church has 3,172 ecclesiastical jurisdictions worldwide, including over 652 archdioceses and 2,249 dioceses. The Catholic Church in Asia has dioceses in most countries.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan is a country in Asia with a Catholic diocese.
Cambodia
Cambodia has several dioceses and is joined in a common episcopal conference with Laos.
Brunei
The Catholic Church in Brunei is structured as an Apostolic Vicariate. The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in the Bruneian capital, Bendar Seir Begawan, is the largest and mother church in the country.
India
The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in India is popularly known as "the Lourdes of the East" and holds the largest Catholic Church in Asia.
Pakistan
St. Joseph’s Church in Lahore is the oldest Catholic Church in Pakistan, established in 1842.
Singapore
The Catholic Church in Singapore is the Archdiocese of Singapore. The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is a historic National Monument and the oldest Catholic Church in Singapore.
Vietnam
The Diocese of Phan Thiet in southern Vietnam holds a shrine to the Virgin Mary on Tao Pao Mountain.
Iraq
The Catholic Church in Iraq is the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baghdad.
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Catholic dioceses in Africa
As of June 21, 2024, the Catholic Church comprised 3,172 ecclesiastical jurisdictions worldwide, including archdioceses, dioceses, apostolic vicariates, apostolic exarchates, apostolic administrations, apostolic prefectures, military ordinariates, personal ordinariates, territorial prelatures, territorial abbacies, and missions sui juris. This structural organization shows the relationships between dioceses within each episcopal conference and each continent or geographical area.
The Catholic Church has a presence in Africa, with dioceses and other structures in various countries across the continent. Here is a list of some of the Catholic dioceses in Africa:
- Maronite Apostolic Exarchate of Western and Central Africa, with its cathedral see at the Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation in Ibadan, Oyo State.
- Diocese of São Tomé and Príncipe in São Tomé and Príncipe.
- Diocese of Port Victoria o Seychelles in the Seychelles.
In addition to these particular dioceses, there are also other Catholic structures in Africa, such as:
- Eparchies in Egypt, including Abu Qurqas, Alexandria, Al Qusia, Assiut, Guizeh, Ismayliah, Luqsor, and Minya.
- Vicariates in Egypt, such as Alexandria of Egypt (-Eliopoli di Egitto-Port-Said) and Le Caire (Chaldean).
The Catholic Church in Africa is organized into dioceses and other ecclesiastical structures, similar to its global structure, to facilitate the administration and pastoral care of its members across the continent.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, as of June 21, 2024, the Catholic Church has 3,172 ecclesiastical jurisdictions worldwide, including archdioceses, dioceses, apostolic vicariates, apostolic exarchates, apostolic administrations, apostolic prefectures, military ordinariates, and more.
Some examples of Catholic dioceses outside of the United States include the Italo-Albanese Diocese of Lungro in Italy, the Diocese of Copenhagen in Denmark, the Syriac Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Venezuela, the Archdiocese of Singapore, and the Diocese of Port Victoria in the Seychelles.
A diocese is a geographical region within the Catholic Church that is under the jurisdiction of a bishop. It is responsible for providing pastoral care and spiritual services to the Catholic population within its area.
Diocesan boundaries are typically determined by state, county, or parish political boundaries. However, in some cases, they may be based on the Catholic population of an area or historical factors.
An archdiocese is a larger ecclesiastical territory that typically encompasses multiple dioceses. It is headed by an archbishop, who holds a higher position than a bishop in the Catholic Church hierarchy.
