Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Sofia

The Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Sofia (informally also Sofia of the Bulgarians) is the fourth, so far last and sole jurisdiction, covering Bulgaria, of the Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church (Eastern Catholic, using the Byzantine Rite in Bulgarian language).

As Apostolic exarchate (a pre-diocesan type of missionary jurisdiction for Eastern Catholics ?entitled to a titular bishop) it is exempt, i.e. directly dependent on the Holy See (notably the Roman Congregation for the Oriental Churches), not part of any ecclesiastical province.

Its cathedral episcopal see is the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Катедрала Успение Богородично Катедрала Успение Богородично), in Bulgaria's capital Sofia, which also has a Latin Catholic diocesan see.

History

It was established in 1926 as Apostolic Exarchate of Sofia, on Bulgarian territory split off from the suppressed Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Constantinople and both its daughters Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Macedonia and Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Thrace (which also covered Greece, Turkey and Macedonia), reuniting the original Balkanic jurisdiction.

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally served 10,000 Bulgarian (Byzantine Rite) Catholics in 20 parishes with 17 priests (4 diocesan, 13 religious), 42 lay religious (15 brothers, 27 sisters) and 1 seminarian.

Ordinaries

(all Bulgarian Rite)

Apostolic Exarchs of Sofia

See also

References

    Coordinates: 42°41′29″N 23°18′48″E / 42.6913°N 23.3134°E / 42.6913; 23.3134

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