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Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels

Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels
Mechliniensis-Bruxellensis
Mechelen-Brussel (Dutch)
Malines-Bruxelles (French)
Mechelen Margareta voor Sint-Rombouts 02.jpg
Location
Country Belgium
Territory Mechelen, the Brussels-Capital Region, Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant
Ecclesiastical province Mechelen-Brussel
Coordinates 51°1′48.4″N 4°28′43.6″E / 51.030111°N 4.478778°E / 51.030111; 4.478778Coordinates: 51°1′48.4″N 4°28′43.6″E / 51.030111°N 4.478778°E / 51.030111; 4.478778
Statistics
Area 3,700 km2 (1,400 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics
(as of 2013)
2,815,842
1,801,000 (64%)
Parishes 659
Information
Denomination Roman Catholic
Rite Latin Rite
Established 12 May 1559
Cathedral St. Rumbold (Mechelen) (Primatial cathedral)
Co-cathedral St. Michael and Gudula (Brussels)
Patron saint Saint Rumbold of Mechelen
Secular priests 1812
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Metropolitan Archbishop Jozef De Kesel
Suffragans Antwerp
Brugge
Ghent
Hasselt
Namur
Tournai
Liège
Auxiliary Bishops Jean Kockerols
Jean-Luc Hudsyn
Leon Lemmens
Vicar General Etienne Van Billoen
Emeritus Bishops Godfried Danneels Cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus (1979-2010)
André-Joseph Léonard Archbishop Emeritus (2010-2015)
Paul Lanneau Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus (1987-2009)
Jan De Bie Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus (1982-2002)
Map
Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels
Territorial extent of the Archidiocese of Mechelen-Brussels
Website
www.kerknet.be/aartsbisdom
Source Annuario Pontificio 2007

The Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Belgium. It is the Primatial See of Belgium and the centre of the Ecclesiastical Province governed by the Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, which covers the whole of Belgium. It was formed in 1559 and the bishop has a seat in two cathedrals, St. Rumbold's Cathedral in Mechelen and the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels. The current Archbishop is Jozef De Kesel, who was installed in November 2015.

The Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels consists of the Province of Brabant in addition to eight municipalities in the Province of Antwerp, including Bonheiden, Duffel, Mechelen and Sint-Katelijne-Waver.

In 1995, the Province of Brabant was later split into three areas:

The Church did not form new dioceses to fit with this, instead three vicariates general were created, often with their own auxiliary bishop, to accommodate the three regional entities.

The name differs in the diocese's two languages; the Dutch name of the see is Mechelen-Brussel and in French, it is called Malines-Bruxelles.

In English, Mechelen was traditionally called Malines but now it more commonly remains being called Mechelen. Traditionally, in English, it was changed into Mechlin. Both Brussel and Bruxelles are Brussels.


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