Catholicism in Greece or the Catholic Church in Greece is part of the worldwide Catholic Church. The number of Catholics in Greece is about 200 thousand people, most of whom are immigrants from Eastern Europe (especially Poland ), Western Europe and the Philippines . Catholicism in Greece is represented by believers of the Roman Catholic , Greek and Armenian Catholic churches. About 50 thousand Greeks belong to the Roman Catholic Church. The Greek Catholic Church has about 5 thousand believers. The community of the Armenian Catholic Church includes several hundred parishioners. Most Catholics live in Athens and other major Greek cities. Greek Catholics also live on the islands of the Cyclades archipelago, the islands of Syros and Tinos , where there are villages, most of whose inhabitants are Catholics.
Content
History
Before the division of the church in 1054, there were structures of the Western Latin Rite Church in Greece. Since the 5th century, the Latin archbishop of Thessalonica led the Illyrian Vicariate of the Roman Church. Until 1054, there was mutual recognition between the Latin and Byzantine rite communities in Greece.
After the separation of the churches in 1054, a split occurred between these communities. After the church split and the conquest of Greece, the Ottoman Empire, the Greek Catholics began to be called " Franks " ( Greek Φράγκοι ). This name of local Catholics came from the Latin faith professed by the Franks. The Orthodox Greeks, distinguishing themselves from the Franks, called themselves the "Romes" ( Greek Ρωμαιοι ), identifying themselves with the Byzantine Empire, which considered itself the successor to the Roman Empire .
After the Fourth Crusade in 1204, the residence of the Latin patriarch with 12 dioceses subordinate to him was established in Constantinople . In 1205, Pope Innocent III established the Latin Archdiocese in Athens. At the same time, other Latin church structures were established. In Greece, various Western monastic orders also operated.
After the conquest of Byzantium by the Ottoman Empire in 1453 in Greece, the activity of the Latin structures gradually ceased and the dioceses of the Latin rite became titular. At the same time, until the 18th century, there were numerous Venetian colonies in Greece, which possessed considerable freedom.
In 1830, a gradual restoration of Latin church structures began in Greece. This year, Pope Gregory XVI established the first church structure for Catholics of the Latin rite, which was called the apostolic delegate. In 1834, Bishop Blancis was appointed apostolic delegate and the Holy See entrusted him with the care of Latin Catholics living in Greece. On July 23, 1875, Pope Pius IX established the Archdiocese of Athens and Peloponnese.
In 1856, a community of Greek Eastern Catholics was formed in Constantinople, which became the basis of the Greek Catholic Church.
In 1979, the Holy See established diplomatic relations with Greece.
Structure
In Greece, there are 4 archdioceses, 4 dioceses and 1 apostolic vicar of the Latin rite, the apostolic exarchate of the Byzantine rite and the ordinate of the Armenian Catholic Church. The governing body of the Catholic Church in Greece is the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Greece .
Roman Catholic Church
- Athenian Archdiocese ;
- Archdiocese of Corfu, Zante and Kefalonia ;
- Archdiocese of Naxos, Andros, Tinos and Mykonos ;
- Diocese of Crete ;
- Diocese of Santorini ;
- Diocese of Syros and Milos ;
- Diocese of Chios ;
- Archdiocese of Rhodes ;
- Apostolic Vicariate of Thessaloniki .
Greek Catholic Church
- Apostolic Exarchate of Greece .
Armenian Catholic Church
- Ordinate of Greece .
Literature
- Bibikov, M. Greece // The Catholic Encyclopedia . - M .: ed. Franciscantsev, 2002. - T. 1. The letters A — Z. - S. 1422-1426. - ISBN 5-89208-037-4 .
- Greek Catholic Church // Catholic Encyclopedia . - M .: ed. Franciscantsev, 2002. - T. 1. The letters A — Z. - S. 1426-1427. - ISBN 5-89208-037-4 .
Links
- The Catholic Church in Greece (Greek )