Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels Mechliniensis-Bruxellensis Mechelen-Brussel (in Dutch) Malines-Bruxelles (in French) | |
---|---|
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°ECoordinates: 51°1′48.4″N 4°28′43.6″E / 51.030111°N 4.478778°E |
Statistics | |
Area | 3,700 km2 (1,400 sq mi) |
Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2015) 2,842,000 1,818,000 ( 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 |
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 | |
Territorial extent of the Archidiocese of Mechelen-Brussels | |
Website | |
www | |
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.