Diocese of Graz-Seckau

Diocese of Graz-Seckau Dioecesis Seccoviensis (Latin) Diözese Graz-Seckau (German)
Graz Cathedral
Location
Country	Austria
Territory	Styria
Ecclesiastical province	Salzburg
Metropolitan	Archdiocese of Salzburg
Statistics
Area	16,392 km2 (6,329 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2013) 1,213,255 863,286 (71.2%)
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	June 22, 1218
Cathedral	Graz Cathedral
Patron saint	Saint Rupert Saint Virgil
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Wilhelm Krautwaschl
Metropolitan Archbishop	Franz Lackner
Emeritus Bishops	Johann Weber Bishop Emeritus (1969-2001) Egon Kapellari Bishop Emeritus (2001-2015)
Map
Website
Website of the Diocese

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Graz-Seckau (Latin: Dioecesis Seccoviensis, German: Diözese Graz-Seckau) is a diocese comprising the Austrian state of Styria. It is part of the ecclesiastical province of Salzburg.

The See of Seckau was founded on 22 June 1218, then the third suffragan of Salzburg after Gurk (1072) and Chiemsee (1215), by Archbishop Eberhard von Regensberg with permission by Pope Honorius III. Emperor Frederick II gave his consent on 26 October 1218; he conferred on the incumbent of the see the dignity of a Prince of the Roman Empire, though with no secular power. A fourth suffragan diocese, Lavant, followed in 1228.

The first bishop was Provost Karl von Friesach (1218–30) who had his see at Seckau Abbey in Upper Styria; his diocese only comprised 13 parishes. Most of the time, the Seckau bishops resided at Seggau Castle near Leibnitz and at Graz, they also served as vicars in the Duchy of Styria. Under the Habsburg emperor Joseph II, the diocese was reorganised and its territory enlarged. However, the original intention of the emperor to establish an archbishopric at Graz, the capital of Styria, was frustrated by the opposition of the Archbishop of Salzburg.

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Wikipedia