Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Germany

With the spread of the Reformation, almost all the Catholic dioceses of Northern Europe fell into decay and were abolished by the Holy See . At this time in the territory of Northern Europe there were a few Catholic communities that remained loyal to the Vatican. For these communities, the Congregation for the Promotion of Faith in 1622 established the so-called “Northern Missions”, entrusting their administration to the Apostolic Nuncies : the Nuncio in Cologne led the mission in Northern Germany, the Nuncio in Warsaw - the missions in Sweden and Mecklenburg , the Nuncio in Brussels led the missions in Denmark and Norway.

The increase in the number of believers living in these territories led to the establishment on April 28, 1967 of the Apostolic Vicariate of the Northern Missions with a cathedral in Bremen.

On April 6, 1709, the Apostolic Vicariate of the Northern Missions transferred part of its territory for the construction of a new Apostolic Vicariate of Upper and Lower Saxony (abolished in 1790), in 1743 - for the construction of a new Apostolic Vicariate of Saxony (abolished in 1921) and September 23, 1783 - for the construction of the Apostolic Vicariate of Sweden (today - the Diocese of Stockholm ).

On January 16, 1821, the Apostolic Vicariate of the Northern Missions transferred part of its territory for the construction of new dioceses of Münster , Paderborn and Wroclaw .

On September 17, 1839, Pope Gregory XVI issued the Ex pastoralis log , which he transferred to the Department of the Apostolic Vicariate of the Northern Missions in Hamburg .

On August 7, 1868, the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Germany transferred part of its territory for the construction of the new Apostolic Prefectures of Denmark (today the Diocese of Copenhagen ) and Schleswig-Holstein (abolished in 1930). On the same day, the apostolic vicar of the Northern Missions was renamed the apostolic vicar of Northern Germany.

Since 1846, the post of Apostolic Provost of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Germany was performed by Bishop Osnabruck, who from November 15, 1921 began to bear the title of Apostolic Vicar.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the number of believers in the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Germany totaled about 79 thousand people.

On August 13, 1930, Pope Pius XI issued the bull Pastoralis officii , which abolished the apostolic vicar of Northern Germany, and transferred its territory to the diocese of Osnabruck .

• Bishop Valerio Machchoni (April 28, 1667 - September 5, 1676);
• Bishop Niels Stensen (August 21, 1677 - December 5, 1686);
• Bishop Friedrich von Titzen-Schlütter (August 4, 1687 - November 4, 1696);
• Bishop Jobst Edmund von Brabek (May 10, 1697 - August 13, 1702);
• Bishop Otto Wilhelm von Bronkhorst-zu-Gronsfeld (October 13, 1702 - April 5, 1713);
• Bishop Johann Hugo von Harz (February 15, 1715 - December 25, 1716);
• Bishop Jasent Petit (February 11, 1718 - July 26, 1719);
• Bishop Johann Friedrich Adolf von Hörde zu Schönholthausen (December 15, 1722 - August 3, 1761);
• Bishop Franz Joseph von Gondola (1761 - March 5, 1774);
• Bishop Friedrich Wilhelm von Westfalen (1775 - January 6, 1789);
• Bishop Franz Egon von Furstenberg (1795 - August 11, 1825);
  • Sede vacante (1825-1839);
• Bishop Johann Theodore Laurent (September 17, 1839 - December 1, 1841);
  • Bishops of Osnabrueck (1846-1921) - Apostolic Provincial;
• Bishop German Wilhelm Burning (November 15, 1921 - August 13, 1930);

• Annuario Pontificio , Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Città del Vaticano, 2003, ISBN 88-209-7422-3
• Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Germany, Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), Encyclopedia Press, 1917
• Brev Ex pastoralis / Bullarium pontificium Sacrae congregationis de propaganda fide , tomo V, Romae 1841, p. 183
• Bull Pastoralis officii , AAS 23 (1931), p. 34

• Information