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Roman Catholic Diocese of Graz-Seckau

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Diocese of Graz-Seckau
Dioecesis Seccoviensis (Latin)
Diözese Graz-Seckau (German)
Graz Cathedral
Coat of arms of the Diocese of Graz-SeckauCoat of arms
Location
Country Austria
TerritoryStyria
Ecclesiastical provinceSalzburg
MetropolitanArchdiocese of Salzburg
Statistics
Area16,392 km (6,329 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2019)
1,240,214
817,000 (65.9%)
Information
DenominationRoman Catholic
RiteRoman Rite
EstablishedJune 22, 1218
CathedralGraz Cathedral
Patron saintSaint Rupert
Saint Virgil
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopWilhelm Krautwaschl
Metropolitan ArchbishopFranz Lackner
Bishops emeritusEgon Kapellari
Map
Location of the Diocese of Graz-Seckau in Austria
Location of the Diocese of Graz-Seckau in Austria
Website
Website of the Diocese

The Diocese of Graz-Seckau (Latin: Dioecesis Seccoviensis, German: Diözese Graz-Seckau) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church comprising the Austrian state of Styria. It is part of the Ecclesiastical Province of Salzburg.

History

Seckau basilica

The See of Seckau was founded on 22 June 1218, then the third suffragan of the metropolitan diocese of Salzburg after Gurk (1072) and Chiemsee (1215), by Archbishop Eberhard von Regensberg with permission from Pope Honorius III. Emperor Frederick II gave his consent on 26 October 1218; he conferred on the incumbent of the see the dignity of a Prince of the Roman Empire, though with no secular power. A fourth suffragan diocese, Lavant, followed in 1228.

The first bishop was Provost Karl von Friesach (1218–1230) who had his see at Seckau Abbey in Upper Styria; his diocese only comprised 13 parishes. Most of the time, the Seckau bishops resided at Seggau Castle near Leibnitz and at Graz, they also served as vicars in the Duchy of Styria. Under the Habsburg emperor Joseph II, the diocese was reorganised and its territory was enlarged. However, the original intention of the emperor to establish an archbishopric at Graz, the capital of Styria, was frustrated by the opposition of the Archbishop of Salzburg.

In 1786, the episcopal see was finally transferred from Seckau to Graz Cathedral, though the name of the diocese remained unchanged until 1963. A new cathedral chapter was installed, composed at first of three dignitaries and four canons. The see included thenceforth the Salzburg territory in Styria; at the same time, the short-lived Diocese of Leoben was created in Upper Styria. After the death of the first and only Bishop of Leoben, the administration of this see was again entrusted in 1808 to the Bishops of Seckau at Graz. The limits of Seckau are due to a regulation of 1859, incorporating the Diocese of Leoben into that of Seckau, while Seckau ceded Lower Styria with its (chiefly) Slovene-speaking population to the Diocese of Lavant with its see at Maribor (Marburg).

Special churches

St Catherine's Church and Mausoleum, Graz

The diocese also operates a religious museum (Diözesanmuseum), housed in the former Jesuit University building in the Graz Old Town across from the cathedral and the Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria with the mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II.

Leadership

The current bishop, Wilhelm Krautwaschl, was appointed by Pope Francis on April 16, 2015.

See also

References

  1. "Rinunce e nomine". Vatican.va (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 2015-04-16. Retrieved 2015-04-16.

Sources

List of Catholic dioceses in Austria
Province of Salzburg
Province of Vienna
Sui iuris jurisdictions

47°04′19″N 15°26′32″E / 47.07194°N 15.44222°E / 47.07194; 15.44222

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