Diocese of Görlitz Dioecesis Gorlicensis |
|
---|---|
Location | |
Country | Germany |
Ecclesiastical province | Berlin |
Metropolitan | Görlitz, Saxony |
Statistics | |
Area | 9,700 km2 (3,700 sq mi) |
Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2006) 792,824 32,203 (4.1%) |
Information | |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Rite | Roman Rite |
Established | June 28, 1972 |
Cathedral | St. James Cathedral |
Patron saint | St. Hedwig of Silesia |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Bishop |
Wolfgang Ipolt Bishop of Görlitz |
Metropolitan Archbishop | Heiner Koch |
Emeritus Bishops | Rudolf Müller |
Map | |
Website | |
bistum-goerlitz.de |
The Diocese of Görlitz is a diocese of the Roman Catholic church in Germany. The current ordinary is Wolfgang Ipolt
For the history until 1821 see the History of the ancient See of Meissen.
In order to insure the success of the Christian missions among the pagan Wends (a Slavic people), Otto I suggested at the Roman Synod of 962 the creation of an archiepiscopal see at Magdeburg. Pope John XII consented, and shortly before the execution of the plan in 968 it was decided at the Synod of Ravenna (967) to create three bishoprics — Meissen, Merseburg, and Zeitz — as suffragans of the Archdiocese of Magdeburg. The year in which the Diocese of Meissen was established is disputed, as the oldest extant records may be forgeries; however, the record of endowment by Otto I in 971 is considered genuine.
In 1346 the diocese stretched from the Ore Mountains and Iser Mountains in the south, from there northwards downstream the Queis and Bober rivers, forming the eastern boundary, in the north downstream the Oder to the junction of the Lusatian Neisse and on along the Oder, then crossing to the middle course of the Spree in the northwest, thus including Upper Lusatia (then the deanery of Bautzen) and Lower Lusatia (a provostry of the same name).