Macedonian Greek Catholic Church

The Macedonian Greek Catholic Church is a Byzantine Rite sui juris Eastern Catholic Church in full union with the Catholic Church which uses the Macedonian language in the liturgy.

Macedonian Greek Catholic Church
ClassificationEastern Catholic
PolityEpiscopal
StructureEparchy[1]
PopeFrancis
BishopKiro Stojanov[2]
RegionNorth Macedonia
LiturgyByzantine Rite
HeadquartersAssumption of Mary Cathedral, Strumica, North Macedonia
FounderJohn Paul II
Origin2001
Separated fromByzantines of Križevci
Congregations7
Members2,000
Ministers11[3]
Other name(s)Macedonian Greek Catholic Eparchy of the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed in Strumica-Skopje[1]
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The Macedonian Church comprises a single eparchy, the Macedonian Catholic Eparchy of the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed in Strumica-Skopje.[1]

History

An Apostolic Exarch was appointed for Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Macedonia as early as 1883 and lasting until 1922/1924 as part of the Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church.[4] After the end of World War I and the foundation of Yugoslavia, the Exarchate was absorbed into the Eparchy of Križevci.

Interior of the Cathedral of Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary (Strumica)

In January 2001, a separate Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia was formed for Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in North Macedonia. It was separated from the Eparchy of Križevci and constituted as immediately subject to the Holy See.[5] On the same day (11 January 2001) the Holy See appointed the Latin Bishop of Skopje as the first Apostolic Exarch of North Macedonia.[6]

Statistics

As of 2019, the Church's membership was estimated at approximately 2,000 faithful, with one bishop, 7 parishes, 11 priests, and 18 religious sisters.[3]

YearMembersPriestsParishes
200010,000108
20016,32095
200211,00085
200311,36785[7]
200411,367[8]95[7]
200511,39895[8]
200611,48385[9]
200711,49185[10]
200815,175106[11]
200915,041117[12]
201015,037117[3]

List of Hierarchs

Apostolic Exarchs

  • Lazar Mladenov (1883 – 1895), Titular Bishop of Satala
  • Epiphany Shanov (1895 – 1922 or 1924), Titular Bishop of Livias
  • Joakim Herbut (2001 – 2005), Latin Church Bishop of Skopje
  • Kiro Stojanov (2005 – 2018), Latin Church Bishop of Skopje[7][2]

Eparchs of Strumica

  • Kiro Stojanov (2018 – present), Latin Church Bishop of Skopje

See also

References
  1. "Macedonian Church". Catholic Dioceses in the World. GCatholic. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  2. "Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia". Catholic Dioceses in the World. GCatholic. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  3. Ronald Roberson. "The Eastern Catholic Churches 2010 Statistics" (PDF). Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  4. Кратка история на Католическата апостолическа екзархия. (In English: A conscise history of the Catholic Apostolic Exarchate - retrieved from the official website of the Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church on January 16, 2012.)
  5. Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 93 (2001), p. 339.
  6. Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 94 (2002), p. 152.
  7. Cheney, David M. "Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia". All Dioceses. catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  8. Ronald Roberson. "The Eastern Catholic Churches 2005 Statistics" (PDF). Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  9. Ronald Roberson. "The Eastern Catholic Churches 2006 Statistics" (PDF). Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  10. Ronald Roberson. "The Eastern Catholic Churches 2007 Statistics" (PDF). Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  11. Ronald Roberson. "The Eastern Catholic Churches 2008 Statistics" (PDF). Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  12. Ronald Roberson. "The Eastern Catholic Churches 2009 Statistics" (PDF). Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 December 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
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