Apostolic Vicariate of Alexandria of Egypt

The Apostolic Vicariate of Alexandria of Egypt, or in full - of Alexandria of Egypt-Heliopolis-Port Said (Latin: Vicariatus Apostolicus Alexandrinus) is the Roman Catholic Apostolic vicariate (missionary ordinariate) in Egypt, named after its cathedral see in Alexandria, a port city and former Catholic patriarchate.

It is exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See, not part of any ecclesiastical province.

Special Churches

• the cathedral episcopal see in Alexandria, Saint Catherine.
• the co-cathedral and former cathedral Notre-Dame of Heliopolis, in Egypt's metropolitan national capital Cairo's suburb Heliopolis, formerly seat of a separate apostolic vicariate Heliopolis in northern Egypt
• the co-cathedral and former cathedral Our Lady and St. Michael, in Port Said, formerly seat of a separate apostolic vicariate in southern Egypt
• Basilica of St Therese of the Child Jesus, Cairo, a minor basilica.

History

• Established on May 18, 1839 as Apostolic Vicariate of Egypt and Arabia, on territory split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Aleppo in Syria, then covering vast territory in Africa and Arabia
• Lost territory to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Jedda in 1840 and again on 1846.04.03 to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Central Africa
• Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Egypt in 1851
• Lost territory again repeatedly to establish
  • Coptic Catholic Diocese of Iskanderiya (Alexandria) in 1895
  • Apostolic Prefecture of the Nile Delta on 1886.01.25
  • Apostolic Prefecture of Eritrea on 1894.09.13
  • the Coptic Catholic Patriarchal See of Alexandria, Coptic Catholic Diocese of Luqsor and Coptic Catholic Diocese of Minya on 1895.11.26
  • Apostolic Vicariate of Canal of Suez on 1926.07.12
• Renamed on January 27, 1951: as Apostolic Vicariate of Alexandria of Egypt
• It enjoyed a papal visit by Pope John Paul II in February 2000.

United titles

Its full title reflects the (re)absorption of two former Latin Church missionary circonscriptions in Egypt :

• the northern Apostolic Vicariate of Heliopolis in Egypt (Eliopoli di Egitto) (since November 30, 1987), which had a see in the Cairo suburb it's named after
• the southern Apostolic Vicariate of Port-Said (since November 30, 1987), which had a see in the port city on the Suez Canal

Episcopal incumbents

All vicars were Latin Church titular bishops and members of religious orders

Apostolic Vicars of Egypt, in whom was also vested the diplomatic office of Apostolic Delegate to Egypt and Arabia until 1921

• Bishop Perpetuo Guasco da Solero, O.F.M. Obs. (1839.06.07 – 1859.08.02)
• Bishop Paškal Vujičić, O.F.M. Obs. (1860.09.28 – 1866.08.06)
• Archbishop Luigi Ciurcia, Friars Minor (O.F.M.) (1866.07.27 – 1881.05.01)
• Archbishop Anacleto Chicaro, O.F.M. (1881.05.12 – 1888.10.05)
• Archbishop Aurelio Briante, O.F.M. (1904.07.23 – 1921.02)
• Bishop Félix Couturier, O.P. (1919.07.03 – 1921.06.28), who became Bishop of Alexandria in Ontario (Canada) (1921.06.28 – 1941.07.27)
• Bishop Igino Nuti, O.F.M. (1921.12.20 – 1945, followed by a four years vacancy)

Apostolic Vicars of Alexandria of Egypt

• Jean de Capistran Aimé Cayer, O.F.M. (26 May 1949 – 13 April 1978)
• Egidio Sampieri, O.F.M. (29 April 1978 – 26 Aug. 2000)
• Giuseppe Bausardo, S.D.B. (24 Feb. 2001 - 29 Oct 2008)
• Apostolic Administrator Msgr. Gennaro De Martino, (2008.10.29 – 2009.09.01)
• Adel Zaky, O.F.M. (1 Sept. 2009 – ...)

See also

• List of Roman Catholic dioceses in Egypt
• Roman Catholicism in Egypt

Sources and External Links

• GCatholic.org, with incumbent biography links.
• Catholic-Hierarchy entry.