Roman Catholic Diocese of Bruges

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bruges, (Bisdom Brugge in native Dutch) is a suffragan diocese in ecclesiastical province of the primatial Metropolitan archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels (which covers all the Roman Catholic church in Belgium).

Diocese of Bruges

Dioecesis Brugensis

Bisdom Brugge (Dutch)
Diocèse de Bruges (French)
Bistum Brügge (German)
Location
Country Belgium
Ecclesiastical provinceMechelen-Brussels
MetropolitanArchdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels
Statistics
Area3,145 km2 (1,214 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2015)
1,178,265
968,000 (82.2%)
Information
DenominationRoman Catholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
Established12 May 1559
CathedralSt. Salvator's Cathedral in Bruges
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopLodewijk Aerts
Bishops emeritus
Map

The diocese of Bruges, coextensive with the province of West Flanders
Website
https://www.kerknet.be/organisatie/bisdom-brugge

The Renaissance diocese since 1558 was suppressed in 1801 during the Napoleonic and Dutch eras and restored in 1834 a pre-diocesan stage as Apostolic vicariate since 1832.[1] Its territory coincides with West Flanders.

Its cathedral episcopal see is the Sint-Salvator Cathedral, dedicated to Our Savior, in Bruges (Brugge), West Flanders province, a minor basilica a minor World Heritage Site. Its patron saint however is Saint Donatian, hence the cathedral is also known as Sint-Salvators- en Donaaskathedraal after both saints.

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally serves 965,000 Catholics (82.1% of 1,174,752 total) on 3,145 km² in 362 parishes and 65 missions with 708 priests (499 diocesan, 209 religious), 91 deacons, 1,986 lay religious (290 brothers, 1,696 sisters) and 7 seminarians.

History

An earlier diocese of Bruges was established on 12 May 1558, on territory split off from the Diocese of Tournai, as part of the great Habsburg reform of the church in the then Spanish Low Countries. Its cathedral see, St. Donatian's Cathedral, was destroyed in a fire in 1799 during the aftermath of the French Revolution.

During the Napoleonic Concordate-period reforms, it was suppressed on 1801.07.15 and its territory merged into the Diocese of Gent (Ghent).

On 1832.12.17, shortly after the independence of Belgium, it was restored as (pre-diocesan) Apostolic Administration of West-Vlaanderen ('West Flanders', the name of the Belgian province it coincides with, as most Belgian bishoprics), regaining its territory from Ghent. On 1834.05.27, this was promoted to Diocese again and renamed after its see, Brugge, while the incumbent Apostolic Administrator was promoted Suffragan Bishop. On 1967.05.31 it lost a bit of territory to the Ancient Diocese of Tournai, shortly after a reshuffle of province borders involving a few municipalities, notably Moeskroen being transferred to Hainaut (which Tournai bishopric covers).

In 1985 the diocese enjoyed a papal visit from Pope John Paul II, who on 17 May gave a homily on the horrors of war at Ypres as part of his pastoral visit to the Low Countries.[2]

A pederasty scandal saw its self-confessed, hardly remorseful bishop Roger Vangheluwe forced into 'early emeritate', traumatizing the entire Belgian church.

Ordinaries
Franciscus-Renatus Boussen, eighteenth bishop of Brugge
Lode Aerts, bishop as of 2016
Suffragan Bishops (first diocese)
  • 1560–1567: Petrus Curtius (Petrus De Corte)
  • 1569–1594: Remigius Driutius
  • 1596–1602: Mathias Lambrecht
  • 1604–1616: Charles Philippe de Rodoan
  • 1616–1620: Anthonius Triest (also bishop of Ghent)
  • 1623–1629: Denis Stoffels
  • 1630–1639: Servaas de Quinckere
  • 1642–1649: Nicolaas de Haudion
  • 1651–1660: Carolus Van den Bosch (also bishop of Ghent)
  • 1662–1668: Robert de Haynin
  • 1668–1671: Charles Geleyns
  • 1671–1681: François de Baillencourt
  • 1682–1689: Humbertus Guilielmus de Precipiano (also Archbishop of Mechelen)
  • 1691–1706: Guilielmus (Willem) Bassery
  • 1706–1716: Vacant
  • 1716–1742: Hendrik Jozef van Susteren
  • 1743–1753: Jan-Baptist de Castillon
  • 1754–1775: Joannes-Robertus Caimo
  • 1777–1794: Felix Brenart
  • Suppressed
Apostolic Administrator of West Flanders
  • François-René Boussen (January 21, 1833 – May 27, 1834 see next), Titular Bishop of Ptolemais (December 17, 1832 – June 23, 1834), Coadjutor Bishop of Gent (Belgium) (December 17, 1832 – June 23, 1834)
Suffragan Bishops (present diocese)
  • 1834–1848: François-René Boussen (see previous)
  • 1848–1864: Joannes-Baptista Malou
  • 1864–1894: Johan Joseph Faict
  • 1894–1895: Petrus De Brabandere
  • 1895–1931: Gustavus Waffelaert
  • 1931–1952: Henricus Lamiroy
  • 1952–1984: Emiel-Jozef De Smedt
  • 1984–2010: Roger Joseph Vangheluwe
  • 2010–2015: Jozef De Kesel, later promoted Metropolitan Archbishop of Mechlin-Brussels
  • 2016–present: Lode Aerts

Notes
  1. "Diocese of Brugge {Bruges}". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  2. https://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/it/homilies/1985/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19850517_ieper.html

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