Diocese of Regensburg

The Diocese of Regensburg (Latin Dioecesis Ratisbonensis) is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church seated in Regensburg. Its district covers parts of northeastern Bavaria; it is subordinate to the archbishop of Munich and Freising. The diocese has 1.3 million Catholics, constituting 81% of its population. The current bishop is Gerhard Ludwig Müller; the main church is Saint Peter in Regensburg.

[edit] History

The diocese was founded in 739 by Saint Boniface; it was originally subordinate to the archbishop of Salzburg. In the 13th century, the Bishopric of Regensburg became a state of the Holy Roman Empire. By the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss of 1803, the Bishopric was incorporated into the new Principality of Regensburg. In 1810, the state became part of Bavaria. The Bavarian Concordat of 1817 reorganized the diocese and made it subordinate to the archbishop of Munich and Freising.