Archdiocese of Catania Archidioecesis Catanensis |
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Cathedral in Catania
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Location | |
Country | Italy |
Ecclesiastical province | Catania |
Coordinates | 37°30′10″N 15°05′19″E / 37.502809°N 15.088604°E |
Statistics | |
Area | 1,332 km2 (514 sq mi) |
Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2013) 746,999 737,000 (est.) (98.7%) |
Parishes | 157 |
Information | |
Denomination | Catholic Church |
Rite | Roman Rite |
Cathedral | Basilica Cattedrale di S. Agata |
Secular priests | 237 (diocesan) 99 (Religious Orders) 41 Deacons |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Archbishop | Salvatore Gristina |
Emeritus Bishops | Luigi Bommarito |
Map | |
Website | |
www.diocesi.catania.it |
The archdiocese of Catania (Latin: Archidioecesis Catanensis) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastic territory in Sicily, southern Italy, with its seat in Catania. It was elevated to an archdiocese in 1859, and became a metropolitan see in 2000. Its suffragans are the diocese of Acireale and the diocese of Caltagirone.
According to legend, Christianity was first preached in Catania by St. Beryllus. During the persecution of Decius the virgin St. Agatha suffered martyrdom. At the same period or a little later the Bishop of Catania was Everus, who is mentioned in the acts of the martyrs of Leontini (303). This same year is marked by the martyrdom of the Deacon Euplius and others.
It is said that a Domninus (or Domnicius) was Bishop of Catania and was present at the Council of Ephesus (431); the Acts of the council, however, show that he was bishop of 'Coliaeum' (Cotyaeum, Cotyaion) in Phrygia, not bishop of Catania.
A genuine bishop, Fortunatus, was twice sent with Bishop Ennodius of Pavia by Pope Hormisdas to Emperor Anastasius I to effect the union of the Eastern Churches with Rome (514, 516). Bishops Leo and Junius appear in the correspondence of Gregory the Great. In 730 Bishop Jacobus (Giacomo) suffered martyrdom for his defence of images. In 750, or thereabouts, Sabino was Bishop of Catania. His successor, Saint Leo of Catania, also known as Leo of Ravenna, was known as a wonder-worker (thaumaturgus).