The Diocese of Włocławek () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Poland. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Gniezno. Until the 20th century, it was known as the Diocese of Kujawy.

The bishops' seat is Włocławek Cathedral, also a minor basilica: in the city of Włocławek, in Kujawsko-Pomorskie. The diocese has two more Minor Basilicas: Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń (), in Licheń Stary, Wielkopolskie , in Zduńska Wola, Łódzkie.

The diocese is currently headed by Bishop Krzysztof Jakub Wętkowski, appointed in 2021.

History We disregard the presumably merely-legendary precursor(?) Diocese of Kruszwica (966–1156) Established in 1015 as Diocese of Kujawy–Pomorze (i.e. Kujawy–Pomerania) / Kruszwicka (Polish) / Cuiavia–Pomerania (Curiate Italian), on territory split off from the suppressed Diocese of Kolberg (Kołobrzeg) Renamed in 1148 as Diocese of Kujawy–Pomorze / Cuiavia–Pomerania (Italiano) / since ca. 1124/1126 called Włocławek after its see Theological seminary in Włocławek founded in 1569 by Bishop Stanisław Karnkowski as one of the oldest seminaries in Poland. Gained territory in 1633 from the Diocese of Płock Renamed on 30 June 1818 as Diocese of Kujawy–Kaliska / Cuiavia–Kalisz (Italiano), having lost territories to its Metropolitan the Archdiocese of Gniezno, to Diocese of Poznań, to Diocese of Wrocław and to Diocese of Płock. Renamed on 28 Oct 1925 after its see as Diocese of Włocławek / Wladislavia / Vladislavien(sis) (Latin adjective) During the German occupation of Poland (World War II), the Germans murdered 249 priests from the Diocese of Włocławek, including the Auxiliary Bishop of Włocławek Michał Kozal, closed down the cathedral, and robbed the precious historical collections of the diocese of Włocławek.Maria Wardzyńska, Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion, IPN, Warszawa, 2009, p. 209–210 (in Polish) Lost territory on 25 March 1992 to establish the Diocese of Kalisz. It enjoyed Papal visits from the Polish Pope John Paul II in June 1991 and June 1999. In 2018, the Włocławek Cathedral was listed by the President of Poland as a Historic Monument of Poland.

Statistics As of 2022, it pastorally served 748,506 Catholics (98.7% of 758,348 total) on 8,824 km² in 233 parishes and 126 missions with 566 priests (460 diocesan, 106 religious), 463 lay religious (148 brothers, 315 sisters) and 24 seminarians.

Episcopal ordinaries Imported from List of bishops of Kujawy (Włocławek) and amended; sources contradict often, notably in the first centuries:

Suffragan Bishops of Kujawy–Pomorze (Kujawy–Pomerania, Włocławek; 1133–1818) Swidger (1128? – 1151;? attested from 1133) Onold (1151? – 1160?; attested 1161–1180) Rudger (1160? – 1170?) Werner (1170? – 1178? or 1148–1156?) Wunelf (1178?–1190?) Stefan (attested 1187–1198–) Ogerius (1197/1203; attested 1206?–1212) Bartha (1203–1215; attested 1213–1220) Michał (1215 – 1256 or 1222–1252) Wolimir (1256–1271 or 1252–1275) Albierz/Wojciech (1271?/1275? – 1283) 1284–1300 – Wiesław 1300–1323 – Gerward 1324–1364 – Maciej z Gołańczy 1364–1383 – Zbylut z Wąsosza 1383–1383 – Trojan 1384–1389 – Jan Kropidło 1389–1398 – Henry VIII of Legnica (Henryk VIII legnicki) 1399–1402 – Mikołaj Kurowski 1402–1421 – Jan Kropidło (again) 1421–1427 – Jan Pella 1427–1433 – Jan Szafraniec 1433–1449 – Władysław Oporowski 1449–1450 – Mikołaj Lasocki 1450–1463 – Jan Gruszczyński 1463–1464 – Jan Lutek 1464–1472 – Jakub z Sienna 1473–1480 – Zbigniew Oleśnicki 1481–1483 – Andrzej Oporowski 1484–1493 – Piotr Moszyński 1494–1503 – Krzesław Kurozwęcki 1503–1513 – Wincenty Przerębski 1513–1531 – Maciej Drzewicki 1531–1538 – Jan Karnkowski 1538–1542 – Łukasz II Górka 1542–1546 – Mikołaj Dzierzgowski 1546–1551 – Andrzej Zebrzydowski 1551–1557 – Jan Drohojowskii 1557–1565 – Jakub Uchański 1565–1567 – Mikołaj Wolski 1567–1580 – Stanisław Karnkowski 1581–1600 – Hieronim Rozrażewski 1600–1603 – Jan Tarnowski 1603–1607 – Piotr Tylicki 1608–1608 – Wojciech Baranowski 1608–1610 – Maciej Pstrokoński 1610–1616 – Wawrzyniec Gembicki 1616–1622 – Paweł Wołucki 1622–1631 – Andrzej Lipski 1631–1642 – Maciej Łubieński 1642–1654 – Mikołaj Wojciech Gniewosz 1654–1673 – Kazimierz Florian Czartoryski 1674–1675 – Jan Gembicki 1675–1680 – Stanisław Sarnowski 1680–1691 – Bonawentura Madaliński 1691–1700 – Stanisław Dąmbski 1700–1705 – Stanisław Szembek 1705–1720 – Felicjan Konstanty Szaniawski 1720–1735 – Krzysztof Antoni Szembek 1735–1741 – Adam Stanisław Grabowski 1741–1751 – Walenty Aleksander Czapski 1751–1763 – Antoni Sebastian Dembowski 1763–1776 – Antoni Kazimierz Ostrowski 1777–1806 – Józef Ignacy Rybiński 1806–1815 – vacant 1815–1818 – Franciszek Malczewski

Suffragan Bishops of Kujawy–Kaliska 1818–1822 – Andrzej Wołłowicz 1822–1831 – Józef Szczepan Koźmian 1831–1836 – vacant 1836–1850 – Walenty Maciej Bończa 1850–1856 – vacant 1856–1867 – Jan Michał Marszewski 1867–1876 – vacancy 1876–1883 – Wincenty Teofil Popiel 1883–1902 – Aleksander Kazimierz Bereśniewicz Stanisław Kazimierz Zdzitowiecki (1902–1925 see below)

Suffragan Bishops of Włocławek Stanisław Kazimierz Zdzitowiecki (see above 1925–1927 –) 1927–1928 – Władysław Paweł Krynicki 1928–1951 – Karol Mieczysław Radoński 1951–1968 – Antoni Pawłowski 1969–1986 – Jan Zaręba 1987–1992 – Henryk Muszyński 1992–2003 – Bronisław Dembowski 2003–2021 – Wiesław Mering 2021–... – Krzysztof Jakub Wętkowski

Auxiliary bishops 1514–? – Aleksander Myszczynski"Bishop Aleksander Myszczynski" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1581–1585 – Maciej Wielicki"Bishop Maciej Wielicki, O.P." Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1597–1617 – Franciszek Lanczki"Bishop Franciszek Lanczki" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1617–1632 – Balthasar Miaskowski"Bishop Balthasar Miaskowski" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1634–1638 – Krzysztof Charbicki"Bishop Krzysztof Charbicki" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1639–1643 – Wenceslaus Paprocki"Bishop Wenceslaus Paprocki" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1643–1652 – Piotr Mieszkowski (starszy)"Bishop Piotr Mieszkowski - Titular Bishop of Margarita" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1652–? – Walerian Wilczogórski"Bishop Valerius Wilezogerzosi" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1653–1677 – Stanisław Domaniewski"Bishop Stanisław Domaniewski" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1678–1696 – Piotr Mieszkowski (młodszy)"Bishop Piotr Mieszkowski - Titular Bishop of Marocco o Marruecos" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1695–? – Andreas Albinowski"Bishop Andreas Albinowski" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1709–1723 – Wojciech Ignacy Bardziński"Bishop Wojciech Ignacy Bardziński" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1725–1736 – Franciszek Antoni Kobielski"Bishop Franciszek Antoni Kobielski" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1737–1739 – Aleksander Działyński"Bishop Aleksander Działyński" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1740–1759 – Franciszek Kanigowski"Bishop Franciszek Kanigowski" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1759–1788 – Jan Dembowski"Bishop Jan Dembowski" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1766–1775 – Cyprian Kazimierz von Wolicki"Bishop Cyprian Kazimierz von Wolicki" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1775–1781 – Maciej Grzegorz Garnysz"Bishop Maciej Grzegorz Garnysz" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1781–1799 – Ludwik Stanisław Górski"Bishop Ludwik Stanisław Górski, Sch. P." Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1789–1793 – Marcin Chyczewski"Bishop Marcin Chyczewski" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1794–1819 – Feliks Łukasz Lewiński"Bishop Feliks Łukasz Lewiński" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1819–1825 – Józef Marcelin Dzięcielski"Bishop Józef Marcelin Dzięcielski" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1838–1844 – Józef Joachim Goldtmann"Bishop Józef Joachim Goldtmann" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1844–1861 – Taddeo Łubieński"Bishop Taddeo Łubieński" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1884–1898 – Carlo Pollner"Bishop Carlo Pollner" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1884–1889 – Henryk Piotr Kossowski"Bishop Henryk Piotr Kossowski" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1918–1938 – Wojciech Stanisław Owczarek"Bishop Wojciech Stanisław Owczarek" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1918–1927 – Władysław Paweł Krynicki, Appointed Bishop of Włocławek"Bishop Władysław Paweł Krynicki" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1939–1943 – Bl. Michaël Kozal"Bishop Bl. Michaël Kozal" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1962–1979 – Kazimierz Jan Majdański"Archbishop Kazimierz Jan Majdański" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1946–1972 – Franciszek Salezy Korszyński"Bishop Franciszek Salezy Korszyński" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1963–1969 – Jan Zareba, Appointed Bishop of Włocławek"Bishop Jan Zareba" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1973–1997 – Czeslaw Lewandowski"Bishop Czeslaw Lewandowski" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1981–2003 – Roman Andrzejewski"Bishop Roman Andrzejewski" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016 1999–2020 – Stanisław Gębicki"Bishop Stanisław Gębicki" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 4, 2016

See also List of Catholic dioceses in Poland Parish of the Holiest Saviour, Włocławek

References

Sources and external links GCatholic.org, with Google map & satellite photo - data for all sections Catholic Hierarchy Diocese website Jan Fijałek: Ustalenie chronologii biskupów włocławskich, Kraków 1894