A diocese, also known as a bishopric, is an administrative unit under the supervision of a bishop, of which there are currently 8 in the Belgian Catholic Church. The 8 dioceses are divided into 1 ecclesiastical province and 7 suffragan dioceses, but also one military ordinariate, which was created as military vicariate in 1957, and elevated to a military ordinariate in 1986.
Since December 1961, following the restructuring of the Catholic dioceses in Belgium, the Archdiocese of Mechelen was renamed the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels. This newly created archdiocese is the primatial see of Belgium and the centre of the ecclesiastical province governed by the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels, which covers the whole of Belgium.
There are also a few former Roman Catholic dioceses in Belgium, including the Dioceses of Eupen-Malmedy and Ypres, but also the ancient Diocese of Thérouanne. The latter was split between the Dioceses of Saint-Omer, Boulogne and Ypres after the Council of Trent's reform of sees.
In Belgium, most dioceses coincide with a province, but there are a few exceptions.
List of Roman Catholic dioceses in Belgium
Ecclesiastical Province of Mechelen-Brussels
| Diocese | Coat of arms | Territory | Cathedral | Bishop (consecration) | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antwerp |  |
Province of Antwerp (except for 9 municipalities) | Cathedral of Our Lady (1559-1801; since 1961) |
Johan Bonny (2009) | 1961 (restored) |
| Bruges | Province of West Flanders | St. Salvator's Cathedral (since 1834) |
Lodewijk Aerts (2016) | 1834 (restored) | |
| Hasselt | Province of Limburg | St. Quentin's Cathedral (since 1967) |
Patrick Hoogmartens (2004) | 1967 | |
| Ghent |  |
Province of East Flanders + Zwijndrecht | St. Bavo's Cathedral (since 1559) |
Lode Van Hecke O.C.S.O (2020) | 1559 |
| Liège |  |
Province of Liège | St. Paul's Cathedral (since 1794) |
Jean-Pierre Delville (2013) | 4th century (Civitas Tungrorum) |
| Mechelen-Brussels | _avec_ornements_ext%C3%A9rieurs.svg) |
Mechelen, Brussels-Capital Region, Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant | St. Rumbold (Mechelen) (Primatial cathedral) St. Michael and Gudula (Brussels) (Co-cathedral) |
Luc Terlinden (2023) | 1559 |
| Namur | Namur and Luxembourg | St Aubin's Cathedral | Pierre Warin | 1559 | |
| Tournai | Hainaut | Cathedral of Our Lady | Guy Harpigny | 1146 |
Exempt (directly subject to the Holy See)
| Diocese | Flag | Jurisdiction | Seat | Ordinary | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Military Ordinariate | 
|
Members of Belgian Armed Forces and their families | Church of St. James on Coudenberg | vested in the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels | 1957 |
See also
External links
References
- "Belgium - All Dioceses". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "Military Ordianariate of Bisdom bij de Krijgsmacht". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels {Malines-Brussels}". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "Cathedrals". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "De Bisschoppenconferentie van België". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "De Kathedraal". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "Benoît XVI a nommé Mgr Johan Bonny nouvel évêque pour le diocèse d'Anvers (Belgique)". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "Bisdom Antwerpen". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "Sint-Salvatorskathedraal". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "Bisdom Brugge". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "Sint-Quintinuskerk - Sint-Quintinuskathedraal". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "Bisdom Hasselt". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "Sint-Baafskathedraal". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "Bisdom Gent". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "Cathédrale Saint-Paul de Liège". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "Jean-Pierre Delville, nouvel évêque de Liège: "C'est une surprise" (vidéos)". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- "Bisdom Luik". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- Decroubele, Peter (3 September 2023). "Luc Terlinden, de nieuwe aartsbisschop met een bijna onmogelijke missie". vrtnws.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
