Archbishop of Messina

Archdiocese of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela Archidioecesis Messanensis-Liparensis-Sanctae Luciae
Cathedral of the Assumption in Messina
Location
Country	Italy
Ecclesiastical province	Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela
Statistics
Area	1,848 km2 (714 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2013) 517,300 (est.) 515,900 (est.) (99.7%)
Parishes	245
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	1st century
Cathedral	Basilica Cattedrale di S. Maria SS. Assunta (Messina)
Co-cathedral	Concattedrale Archimandritato del Santissimo Salvatore (Messina) Concattedrale di S. Bartolomeo (Lipari) Concattedrale di S. Maria Assunta (Santa Lucia del Mela)
Secular priests	232 (diocesan) 140 (religious Orders) 80 (Permanent Deacons)
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Archbishop	Giovanni Accolla
Emeritus Bishops	Giovanni Marra Calogero La Piana, S.D.B.
Map
Website
www.diocesimessina.it

The Archdiocese of Messina (Latin: Archidioecesis Messanensis-Liparensis-Sanctae Luciae) was founded as the Diocese of Messina but was raised to the level of an archdiocese on September 30, 1986 with the merging with the former Diocese of Lipari (5th century) and the Territorial Prelature of Santa Lucia del Mela (1206), and as suffragans the Diocese of Patti and Diocese of Nicosia.

In the war between King Charles II of Naples and Frederick III of Sicily for the crown of Sicily, Messana supported Frederick, even under attack by the fleet of Charles in 1298. Sicily was under papal interdict because it rejected the candidate supported by the Pope.

Canon Antonio Amico wrote extensively on the history of Messina in the seventeenth century.

Messina has the misfortune of being situated on a major tectonic plate boundary, between the European plate and the African plate. On 11 January 1693, a major earthquake struck the eastern coast of Sicily from Messina to Syracuse; twenty-nine people died, and destruction extended to the Royal Palace, the Episcopal Palace, the Seminary, and there was severe damage to the Church of S. Francesco. The bell towers of the cathedral and the church of SS. Anunziata were destroyed. In February 1783, Messina was stricken by a major destructive earthquake. At least 617 persons died in the city. The cathedral, Episcopal Palace, seminary, a large part of the hospital, most of the palazzi in the Teatro Maritima, and convents and monasteries (including the Certosa of S. Bruno and the Convent of S. Dominico Soriano) were damaged or destroyed. On 28 December 1908 a major earthquake struck Messina, destroying the Cathedral, the seminary, and numerous other buildings. It is estimated that 91% of the buildings in Messina were destroyed. The quake was accompanied by a destructive tsunami. Some 75,000 people lost their lives.