The Archdiocese of Johannesburg () is the a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the metropolitan see of an ecclesiastical province.

History June 4, 1886: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Transvaal from the Apostolic Vicariate of Natal September 16, 1904: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Transvaal April 9, 1948: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Johannesburg January 11, 1951: Promoted as Diocese of Johannesburg June 5, 2007: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Johannesburg

Special churches The cathedral is the Cathedral of Christ the King in Johannesburg. Regina Mundi Catholic Church in Moroka Soweto

Leadership Vicars Apostolic of Transvaal William Miller, O.M.I. (September 17, 1904 – May 2, 1912) Charles Cox, O.M.I. (July 15, 1914 – July 14, 1924) Vicars Apostolic of Johannesburg David O'Leary (Bishop), O.M.I. (May 13, 1925 – November 25, 1950) William Patrick Whelan, O.M.I. (November 25, 1950 – January 11, 1951 see below) Bishops of Johannesburg (Roman rite) William Patrick Whelan, O.M.I. (January 11, 1951 - July 18, 1954), appointed Archbishop of Bloemfontein Hugh Boyle (July 18, 1954 – January 24, 1976) Joseph Patrick Fitzgerald, O.M.I. (January 24, 1976 – July 2, 1984), personal title of archbishop Reginald Joseph Orsmond (July 2, 1984 – May 19, 2002) Buti Joseph Tlhagale, O.M.I. (April 8, 2003 – June 5, 2007), personal title of archbishop Archbishops of Johannesburg Buti Joseph Tlhagale, O.M.I. (June 5, 2007 – October 28, 2024) Stephen Brislin (October 28, 2024 – )

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic William Patrick Whelan, O.M.I. (1948–1950)

Auxiliary Bishops Peter Fanyana John Butelezi, O.M.I. (1972–1975), appointed Bishop of Umtata Zithulele Patrick Mvemve (1986–1994), appointed Bishop of Klerksdorp Reginald Joseph Orsmond (1983–1984), appointed Bishop here Duncan Theodore Tsoke (2016–2021), appointed Bishop of Kimberly

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops Peter John Holiday, appointed Bishop of Kroonstad in 2011 Luc Julian Matthys (priest here, 1961–1976), appointed Bishop of Armidale, Australia in 1999 Thomas Graham Rose, appointed Bishop of Dundee in 2008

Coat of Arms By a decree of the Archbishop of 14 March 2025, the Archdiocese assumed a new Coat of Arms independent of its Archbishop. It is blazoned: "Azure, overall a pallium Argent charged with four crosses patée Sable, within a bordure Or, in chief a ChiRho Or encircled by a crown of the same, in dexter a Marian symbol MA of the same, in sinister a pick-axe and a shovel saltirewise of the same."

Statistics According to the Statistical Yearbook of the Church 2022 (Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae 2022, published in 2024), as at 31 December 2022, the statistics for the Archdiocese are:

Area: 14,517 km² Population: 1,139,200 Catholics (12.8% of 8,900,250 total) Pastoral Centres: 131 parishes, 1 mission Personnel: 176 priests (46 diocesan, 130 religious), 64 deacons, 455 religious (165 brothers, 290 sisters), 12 seminarians

Historical Statistics

Year Catholics Total Population Percent Catholic Diocesan Priests Religious Priests Total Priests Catholics Per Priest Permanent Deacons Male Religious Female Religious Parishes Source Vicariate Apostolic of Johannesburg 1950 90,459 2,024,888 4.50% 9 87 96 942 47 655 ap1951 Diocese of Johannesburg 1970 263,812 3,500,000 7.50% 30 140 170 1,551 212 749 40 ap1971 1980 336,682 3,383,000 10.00% 32 149 181 1,860 1 221 663 100 ap1981 1990 589,000 4,416,000 13.30% 34 126 160 3,681 18 176 565 100 ap1991 1999 700,000 6,000,000 11.70% 47 112 159 4,402 43 158 438 104 ap2000 2000 700,000 6,000,000 11.70% 47 114 161 4,347 41 160 446 104 ap2001 2001 700,000 6,000,000 11.70% 48 116 164 4,268 39 166 447 104 ap2002 2002 700,000 6,000,000 11.70% 46 116 162 4,320 44 167 438 104 ap2003 2003 700,000 6,000,000 11.70% 46 114 160 4,375 44 165 438 104 ap2004 2004 700,000 6,000,000 11.70% 49 118 167 4,191 43 173 445 104 ap2005 2006 704,000 6,036,000 11.70% 49 120 169 4,165 43 176 437 104 ap2007 Archdiocese of Johannesburg 2013 918,456 7,710,000 11.91% 44 137 181 5,074 50 173 361 130 ap2014 2016 1,036,000 8,009,000 12.94% 41 131 172 6,023 48 163 333 131 ap2017 2017 1,064,445 8,228,845 12.94% 46 132 178 5,980 61 172 314 133 ap2018 2019 1,081,000 8,357,555 12.93% 52 132 184 5,875 69 172 318 133 ap2020 2021 1,112,360 8,690,460 12.80% 51 127 178 6,249 60 165 310 133 ap2022 2022 1,127,930 8,812,130 12.80% 45 131 176 6,409 65 168 307 132 ap2023 2023 1,139,200 8,900,250 12.80% 46 130 176 6,473 64 165 290 132 ap2024Source: Catholic-Hierarchy, which in turn takes the data from the Annuario Pontificio.

Recent Number of Seminarians Year Seminarians 2013 19 2015 23 2017 21 2018 15 2020 19 2021 12 2022 12

Suffragan dioceses Klerksdorp Manzini Witbank

See also Catholic Church in South Africa

References

External links Official website GCatholic.org Catholic Hierarchy