Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Luxembourg
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Luxembourg is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church
in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
, comprising the entire Grand Duchy.
, the southern part of the territory of what is now the archdiocese belonged to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trier
(then an archbishopric) and the northern part to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Liège
. After the 1815 Congress of Vienna
, which raised Luxembourg to the rank of Grand Duchy in personal union with the crown of the Netherlands
, Pope Pius VII
attached the territory to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Namur
.
From 25 December 1833 the area was entrusted to a priest, acting as apostolic prefect
, who became its first apostolic vicar, when on 2 June 1840 the territory became an apostolic vicariate
, a jurisdiction normally headed by a titular bishop
. It became a fully fledged diocese
on 27 December 1870, without being incorporated into any ecclesiastical province
. On 23 April 1988, it was raised to the rank of archdiocese.
The current Archbishop
of Luxembourg, since 12 July 2011, is Jean-Claude Hollerich
At the end of 2006, the archdiocese estimated its membership at 393,800, out of a total population of 455,000 (86.5%), and reported that it had 275 parishes, 163 diocesan priests, 65 religious
priests, 6 permanent deacons, 77 religious brothers and 566 religious sisters.
A survey carried out ten years earlier gave the following results: Catholics 88 %; Protestants and similar 1 %; other religions 1 %; no religion 9 %; no reply 1 %.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, comprising the entire Grand Duchy.
History
Before the French RevolutionFrench Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, the southern part of the territory of what is now the archdiocese belonged to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trier
Roman Catholic Diocese of Trier
The Roman Catholic diocese of Trier is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in Germany. As former archbishopric and Electorate of Trier it was one of the most important as both an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire, and as a diocese of the church...
(then an archbishopric) and the northern part to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Liège
Roman Catholic Diocese of Liège
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Liège is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in Belgium. The diocese was erected in the 4th century, and has a long and complicated history...
. After the 1815 Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
, which raised Luxembourg to the rank of Grand Duchy in personal union with the crown of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
attached the territory to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Namur
Roman Catholic Diocese of Namur
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Namur is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Belgium. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussel.-Bishops of Namur since 1802:*Claude de Bexon...
.
From 25 December 1833 the area was entrusted to a priest, acting as apostolic prefect
Apostolic prefect
An apostolic prefect is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a missionary area where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese....
, who became its first apostolic vicar, when on 2 June 1840 the territory became an apostolic vicariate
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
, a jurisdiction normally headed by a titular bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
. It became a fully fledged diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
on 27 December 1870, without being incorporated into any ecclesiastical province
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
. On 23 April 1988, it was raised to the rank of archdiocese.
The current Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Luxembourg, since 12 July 2011, is Jean-Claude Hollerich
Situation
The archdiocese is not a metropolitan see, having no suffragans.At the end of 2006, the archdiocese estimated its membership at 393,800, out of a total population of 455,000 (86.5%), and reported that it had 275 parishes, 163 diocesan priests, 65 religious
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
priests, 6 permanent deacons, 77 religious brothers and 566 religious sisters.
A survey carried out ten years earlier gave the following results: Catholics 88 %; Protestants and similar 1 %; other religions 1 %; no religion 9 %; no reply 1 %.
Ordinaries
- Johann Theodor van der Noot (1833 - 1841)
- Johann Theodor Laurent (1841 - 1856)
- Nikolaus Adames (1848 - 1883)
- Johannes Joseph Koppes (1883 - 1918)
- Petrus Nommesch (1920 - 1935)
- Joseph Laurent Philippe, S.C.I. (1935 - 1956)
- Léon Lommel (1956 - 1971)
- Jean Hengen (1971 - 1990)
- Fernand FranckFernand FranckFernand Franck is a Luxembourgian Roman Catholic priest. He is emeritus Archbishop of Luxembourg, the highest position in the Roman Catholic Church in Luxembourg, a position that he has held beetwen 21 December 1990 and July 12 2011.He was born in Esch-sur-Alzette, and attended primary and...
(1990 - 2011) - Jean-Claude Hollerich (2011 - ... )
