Roman Catholic Diocese of Iași

Diocese of Iaşi
Dioecesis Iasensis
Episcopia de Iaşi

Location
Country  Romania
Ecclesiastical province Bucharest
Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bucharest
Statistics
Area 46,378 km2 (17,907 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		 (as of 2013)
4,272,000
234,211 (5.5%)
Information
Denomination Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church Latin Church
Rite Roman Rite
Established 27 June 1884
Cathedral Our Lady Queen of Iași Cathedral, Iaşi
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Bishop Petru Gherghel
Metropolitan Archbishop Ioan Robu
Auxiliary Bishops Aurel Percă
Website
Website of the Diocese

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Iaşi (or Jászvásár in Magyar) is a Latin Rite suffragan of the Metropolitan Bucharest Archdiocese, in Romanian Moldavia.

Its bishop since 1990 has been Petru Gherghel, previously Apostolic Administrator since 1978. Auxiliary Bishop since 1999 is Aurel Percă, Titular Bishop of Mauriana.

History

It was established in 1818 as Apostolic Vicariate of Moldavia (a pre-diocesan missionary jurisdiction; exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See, not part of an ecclesiastical province, but entitled to a titular bishop), on territory split off from the suppressed Diocese of Bacău, which had originally been set up at Siret by Pope Urban V in 1370, due to work done by Franciscans and Dominicans; its seat was transferred to Bacău at the beginning of the 15th century. Abandoned in 1497 due to Muslim persecutions, the See of Bacău was re-established in 1611, and had a succession of twenty prelates until 1789, when it was suppressed. The Catholics of Moldavia were then placed under the spiritual direction of Apostolic prefects, generally chosen from the Conventuals in charge of the mission.

The Apostolic Vicariate of Moldavia was promoted on 27 June 1884 by Pope Leo XIII to Diocese of Iaşi (Jászvásár in Hungarian) covering Romanian Moldavia, with Iaşi as residence.

In 1921 it gained territory from the Diocese of Tiraspol. On 5 June 1930 it gained territory from the Ukrainian Latin Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lviv.

On 28 October 1993, it lost territory to establish the Apostolic Administration of Moldova (now the diocese of Chișinău).

Special churches

Its Cathedral see is the Our Lady Queen of Iași Cathedral, in Iaşi, where it also has the former cathedral: the Assumption of Mary Church.

Other former cathedrals are the Biserica de vizitarea Maicii Domnului, in Bacău, and the ruined Biserica de Maicii Domnului, in Baia.

A Minor Basilica is the Bazilica Minora Sanctuarul de la Cacica, in Cacica.

Extent and statistics

As per 2014 its pastorally served 232,132 Catholics (5.3% of 4,359,762 total) on 46,378 km² in 149 parishes, 420 priests (297 diocesan, 123 religious) with 704 lay religious (282 brothers, 422 sisters) and 125 seminarians.

The diocese covers the Romanian region of Moldavia—the counties of Suceava, Botoşani, Neamţ, Iaşi, Bacău, Vaslui, Vrancea and Galaţi.

5.2% of the inhabitants are Roman Catholic, with concentrations around Bacău and Roman. Its adherents are predominantly ethnic Romanians, with small Csángós (old Hungarian dialect) and Polish communities.

Episcopal Ordinaries

(all Roman Rite; until 1920 Italians and/or Franciscan missionaries)

Apostolic Vicars of Moldavia

(all missionary members of the Latin congregation of Conventual Friars Minor, O.F.M. Conv.)

Suffragan Bishops of Iaşi (Jászvásár)

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "article name needed". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton. 

Coordinates: 47°09′37″N 27°35′00″E / 47.1604°N 27.5832°E / 47.1604; 27.5832

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