Apostolic vicariate

An apostolic vicariate is a territorial jurisdiction of the Catholic Church under a titular bishop centered in missionary regions and countries where dioceses or parishes have not yet been established. The status of apostolic vicariate is often a promotion for a former apostolic prefecture, while either may have started out as a mission sui iuris. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more. The hope is that the region will generate sufficient numbers of Catholics for the Church to create a diocese one day.

It is exempt under canon law, directly subject to the missionary Dicastery for Evangelization of the Vatican in Rome. Like the stage of apostolic prefecture which often precedes it, the vicariate is not part of an ecclesiastical province. It is intended to mature in developing Catholic members until it can be promoted to a (usually suffragan) diocese.

The Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church counterpart is an (apostolic, patriarchal, or archiepiscopal) exarchate.

Institution

An apostolic vicariate is led by a vicar apostolic, who is usually a titular bishop. While such a territory can be classed as a particular church, according to canon 371.1 of the Latin Code of Canon Law, a vicar apostolic's jurisdiction is an exercise of the jurisdiction of the pope—the territory comes directly under the pope as "universal bishop", and the pope exercises this authority through a "vicar".Code of Canon Law, Book II, Canon 371§1 This is unlike the jurisdiction of a diocesan bishop, whose jurisdiction derives directly from his office.

Like any ecclesiastical jurisdiction, an apostolic vicariate may be administered by the bishop of a neighbouring diocese, or by a priest appointed transitionally as an apostolic administrator. As in a regular diocese, the vicar apostolic may appoint priests as vicars exercising limited jurisdiction over the apostolic vicariate. Normally, a titular bishop is appointed to administer the apostolic vicariate. When someone who does not qualify or has not been ordained as bishop is appointed ad interim, he may be styled Pro-vicar.Fanning, William. "Vicar Apostolic." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 8 March 2023

An apostolic vicariate is to be distinguished from an apostolic prefecture, a similar type of territory whose chief distinction from an apostolic vicariate is that its prefect is not a titular bishop, but a priest. The prefecture is not considered organised enough to be elevated to apostolic vicariate. The less developed instance is the mission sui iuris, which other than the ones mentioned before is not a particular church, although it shares some similarities to one; at its head, an ecclesiastical superior is named. The usual sequence of development is mission, apostolic prefecture, apostolic vicariate, and finally diocese (or even archdiocese). See also apostolic exarch for an Eastern Catholic counterpart.

The apostolic vicariate is distinguished from a territorial abbacy (or "abbey nullius")—an area not a diocese but under the direction of the abbot of a monastery.

Starting in 2019, new vicars apostolic, although they are (or become) bishops, are no longer assigned titular sees.

List

Current apostolic vicariates

Africa

Apostolic Vicariate of Alexandria of Egypt Apostolic Vicariate of Awasa, Ethiopia Apostolic Vicariate of Benghazi, Libya Apostolic Vicariate of Derna, Libya Apostolic Vicariate of Harar, Ethiopia Apostolic Vicariate of Hosanna, Ethiopia Apostolic Vicariate of Ingwavuma, South Africa Apostolic Vicariate of Makokou in Gabon Apostolic Vicariate of Meki, Ethiopia Apostolic Vicariate of Mongo, Chad Apostolic Vicariate of Nekemte, Ethiopia Apostolic Vicariate of Rodrigues, Mauritius Apostolic Vicariate of Rundu, Namibia Apostolic Vicariate of Soddo, Ethiopia Apostolic Vicariate of Tripoli, Libya

The Americas

Apostolic Vicariate of Aguarico, Ecuador Apostolic Vicariate of Aysén, Chile Apostolic Vicariate of Camiri, Bolivia Apostolic Vicariate of Caroní, Venezuela Apostolic Vicariate of Chaco Paraguayo, Paraguay Apostolic Vicariate of Darién, Panama Apostolic Vicariate of El Beni, Bolivia Apostolic Vicariate of El Petén, Guatemala Apostolic Vicariate of Esmeraldas, Ecuador Apostolic Vicariate of Galapagos, Ecuador Apostolic Vicariate of Guapi, Colombia Apostolic Vicariate of Inírida, Colombia Apostolic Vicariate of Iquitos, Peru Apostolic Vicariate of Jaén in Peru/San Francisco Javier Apostolic Vicariate of Leticia, Colombia Apostolic Vicariate of Méndez, Ecuador Apostolic Vicariate of Mitú, Colombia Apostolic Vicariate of Napo, Ecuador Apostolic Vicariate of Ñuflo de Chávez, Bolivia Apostolic Vicariate of Pando, Bolivia Apostolic Vicariate of Pilcomayo, Paraguay Apostolic Vicariate of Pucallpa, Peru Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Ayacucho, Venezuela Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Carreño, Colombia Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Gaitán, Colombia Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Leguízamo-Solano, Colombia Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Maldonado, Peru Apostolic Vicariate of Puyo, Ecuador Apostolic Vicariate of Requena, Peru Apostolic Vicariate of Reyes, Bolivia Apostolic Vicariate of San Andrés y Providencia, Colombia Apostolic Vicariate of San José de Amazonas, Peru Apostolic Vicariate of San Miguel de Sucumbíos, Ecuador Apostolic Vicariate of San Ramon, Peru Apostolic Vicariate of Tierradentro, Colombia Apostolic Vicariate of Trinidad, Colombia Apostolic Vicariate of Tucupita, Venezuela Apostolic Vicariate of Yurimaguas, Peru Apostolic Vicariate of Zamora, Ecuador

Asia Apostolic Vicariate of Aleppo, Syria Apostolic Vicariate of Anatolia, Turkey Apostolic Vicariate of Beirut, Lebanon Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe, Philippines Apostolic Vicariate of Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo, Philippines Apostolic Vicariate of Luang Prabang, Laos Apostolic Vicariate of Nepal, Nepal Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Apostolic Vicariate of Paksé, Laos Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh, Cambodia Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa, Philippines Apostolic Vicariate of Quetta, Pakistan Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose in Mindoro, Philippines Apostolic Vicariate of Savannakhet, Laos Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Yemen Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk, Philippines Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay, Philippines Apostolic Vicariate of Vientiane, Laos

Europe Apostolic Vicariate of Thessaloniki, Greece Apostolic Vicariate of Istanbul, Turkey

Historical apostolic vicariates (incomplete) Inactive apostolic vicariates (or former names, often promoted to diocese) are in italics. Eastern Catholic (mostly Byzantine Rite) apostolic vicariates are in bold.

Africa Apostolic Vicariate of Bomadi, Nigeria Apostolic Vicariate of the Congo Apostolic Vicariate of Dahomey Apostolic Vicariate of Donkorkrom, Ghana Apostolic Vicariate of French Congo, or Lower Congo Apostolic Vicariate of Francistown, Botswana Apostolic Vicariate of Isiolo, Kenya Apostolic Vicariate of Kamerun, Cameroon Apostolic Vicariate of Kenia, Kenya Apostolic Vicariate of Kimberley in Orange, South Africa Apostolic Vicariate of Kontagora, Nigeria Apostolic Vicariate of Mauritius Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Victoria Nyanza Apostolic Vicariate of Sahara Apostolic Vicariate of Senegambia Apostolic Vicariate of Shire Apostolic Vicariate of Sudan or Central-Africa Apostolic Vicariate of Unyanyembe

The Americas Apostolic Vicariate of Alaska Apostolic Vicariate of San José de Amazonas Apostolic Vicariate of Athabasca Apostolic Vicariate of Beni Apostolic Vicariate of Bluefields, Nicaragua Apostolic Vicariate of Casanare Apostolic Vicariate of Dakota Territory Apostolic Vicariate of Goajira Apostolic Vicariate of Izabal, Guatemala Apostolic Vicariate of Keewatin Apostolic Vicariate of Limón, Costa Rica Apostolic Vicariate of Lower California Apostolic Vicariate of Machiques, Venezuela Apostolic Vicariate of Magallanes, Chile Apostolic Vicariate of Marysville Apostolic Vicariate of Mackenzie Apostolic Vicariate of Montevideo, Uruguay (erected 1830, promoted to Diocese 1878) Apostolic Vicariate of Nebraska, United States Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Minnesota Apostolic Vicariate of Riohacha, Colombia Apostolic Vicariate of San Gabriel de la Dolorosa del Maranon (renamed Yurimaguas), Peru Apostolic Vicariate of San José del Guaviare, Colombia Apostolic Vicariate of San Vicente del Caguán, Colombia Apostolic Vicariate of Iles Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, in 2018 merged to Diocese of La Rochelle and Sainte Apostolic Vicariate of Sucumbíos Apostolic Vicariate of Ucayali, Peru (was suppressed in 1956 by erection of three new vicariates)

Asia Apostolic Vicariate of Amoy, China Apostolic Vicariate of Batavia, Indonesia Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan, Philippines Apostolic Vicariate of Changanacherry, India Apostolic Vicariate of Ernakulam, India Apostolic Vicariate of Kiang-nan, China Apostolic Vicariate of Kottayam, India Apostolic Vicariate of Lhasa, Sikkim and Tibet Apostolic Vicariate of Madras, India Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Kan-Su, China Apostolic Vicariate of Kienchang, China Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Shan-Si, China Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Shantung, China Apostolic Vicariate of Patna, India Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Shan-Si, China Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Shan-Tung, China Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Shen-Si, China Apostolic Vicariate of Shunking, China Apostolic Vicariate of Szechwan, China Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Szechwan, China Apostolic Vicariate of Southeastern Szechwan, China Apostolic Vicariate of Tibet-Hindustan, India and Tibet Apostolic Vicariate of Trichur, India Apostolic Vicariate of Wanhsien, China Apostolic Vicariate of Yachow, China

Europe Apostolic Vicariate of Bosnia, former Ottoman Empire Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Constantinople, former Ottoman Empire Apostolic Vicariate of Gibraltar Apostolic Vicariate of Herzegovina, former Ottoman Empire Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Macedonia, former Ottoman Empire Apostolic Vicariate of Marča, Croatia Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Germany (Apostolic Vicariate of the Nordic Missions) Apostolic Vicariate of England Apostolic Vicariate of Scotland Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Thrace, former Ottoman Empire Apostolic Vicariate of Upper and Lower Saxony Apostolic Vicariate of Saxony

Oceania Apostolic Vicariate of Alexishafen Apostolic Vicariate of Central Oceania Apostolic Vicariate of Fiji Apostolic Vicariate of the Gilbert Islands Apostolic Vicariate of Marquesas Islands Apostolic Vicariate of New Pomerania Apostolic Vicariate of Oriental Oceania Apostolic Vicariate of Sandwich Islands Apostolic Vicariate of Tahiti Apostolic Vicariate of Western Oceania

Apostolic vicariate

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