Archdiocese of Siracusa
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Archdiocese of Siracusa Archidioecesis Syracusana |
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| Location | |
| Country | Sicily |
| Ecclesiastical province | Siracusa |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 1,341 km2 (518 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2010) 330,000 320,000 (97%) |
| Parishes | 76 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 2nd century |
| Cathedral | Cattedrale della Natività di Maria Santissima |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Archbishop | Salvatore Pappalardo |
| Emeritus Bishops | Giuseppe Costanzo |
| Map | |
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| Website | |
| www.arcidiocesi.siracusa.it | |
The Italian Catholic Archdiocese of Siracusa, also known as Syracuse, (Latin: Archidioecesis Syracusana) is in Sicily. It became an archdiocese in 1744. The current Archbishop is Salvatore Pappalardo. He was given the pallium by Pope Benedict in June 2009, during a Mass on the feast of the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Saints Peter and Paul. He is not to be confused with Salvatore Pappalardo, now-deceased Cardinal and Archbishop of Palermo.
Syracuse claimed to be the second Church founded by St. Peter, after that of Antioch. It also claims that St. Paul preached there. As its first bishop it venerates St. Marcianus, whose dates are uncertain. Little authenticity can be assigned to the list of the seventeen bishops who were predecessors of Chrestus, to whom the Emperor Constantine wrote a letter.
In the times of St. Cyprian (mid-3rd century), Christianity certainly flourished at Syracuse, and the catacombs located there attest to Christian worship there in the 2nd century. Besides its martyred bishops, Syracuse claims other Christian martyrs, such as St. Benignus and St. Evagrius (204), St. Bassianus (270); and the martyrdom of the deacon Euplus and the virgin St. Lucy under Diocletian are thought to be historical.
The names of the known bishops of the following century are few in number: Germanus (346); Eulalius (465); Agatho (553), during whose rule Pope Vigilius died at Syracuse; Maximianus and Joannes (586), who received letters from Pope Gregory I; while another bishop was denounced by Pope Honorius for the protection which he accorded to prostitutes; St. Zozimus (640), who founded the monastery of Santa Lucia fuori-le-mura; St. Elias (d. 660).
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Wikipedia