Roman Catholic Diocese of Odessa-Simferopol

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Odessa-Simferopol (Latin: Odesensis-Sympheropolitanus) is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in southern Ukraine and Crimea that was annexed by Russia in 2014.[1] It covers an area about one-third the size of Poland including areas impacted by 2014 Crimean crisis, and the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine.[1] Since 2014, there has been a de facto inter-state border that splits the diocese.

Diocese of Odessa-Simferopol

Dioecesis Odesensis-Sympheropolitanus

Єпархія Одеса-Сімферополь
Location
CountryUkraine
Ecclesiastical provinceLviv
MetropolitanArchdiocese of Lviv
Statistics
Area138,000 km2 (53,000 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2013)
9,980,000
33,000 (0.3%)
Information
RiteLatin
Established4 May 2002
CathedralКафедральний собор Успіння Пресвятої Діви Марії
Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Odessa
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopBronislaw Bernacki
Metropolitan ArchbishopMieczysław Mokrzycki
CoadjutorStanislav Shyrokoradiuk, O.F.M.
Auxiliary BishopsJacek Pyl, O.M.I.
Map

Location of the Diocese of Odessa-Simferopol

Bronislaw Bernacki is the current bishop of the diocese. He was appointed to the See of Odessa-Simferopol in May 2002 and is based in Odessa. Jacek Pyl is an auxiliary bishop and is based in Simferopol.[1]

History

The history of the diocese begins in 2002, when the diocese of Odessa-Simferopol was erected from the Diocese of Kamyanets-Podilskyi. The diocese's "basic work" began about the time of the Fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.[1]

Auxiliary bishop Pyl described the diocese in 2014 as “missionary territory” with “many challenges.”[1] He reported that there were about 64 priests and 3,000 faithful in the diocese.[1] In 2014, in Crimea there were seven parishes and 13 priests and masses were celebrated mainly in Russian but also in English, Spanish, Ukrainian, and Polish.[1]

As of 2014, Simferopol does not have a co-cathedral.[1] “We have been waiting for the last 20 years to get permission to build a church,” Bishop Pyl is quoted as saying.[1] Plans for a co-cathedral had been underway but were put on hold following Russian annexation of Crimea.[1]

Geography

The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Lviv of the Latins.

Leadership
Bishops (Latin rite)
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See also
  • Roman Catholicism in Ukraine

Footnotes
  1. "Catholics in Ukrainian border diocese face suffering, uncertainty". Catholic News Agency. Sep 9, 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  2. "Resignations and Appointments, 18.02.2020" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2020.

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