Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Istanbul

The Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Istanbul (or of Constantinople) is the senior one of two missionary pre-diocesan Eastern Catholic jurisdictions which constitute the Greek Byzantine Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Church of the Byzantine Rite in Greek language.

It is exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See, not part of any ecclesiastical province (which doesn't exist in the Greek Catholic Church, lacking a Metropolitan). The Apostolic Exarchate covers all territory of Turkey. Its cathedral episcopal see is the Ayatriada Rum Katoliki Kilise (Holy Trinity Rum Catholic Church), in Istanbul. As of 2013 it was the sole parish of the exarchate and has 20 parishioners.

First steps towards creating a particular jurisdiction for Greek Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in European part of Ottoman Empire were made in 1907, when Greek Catholic priest Isaias Papadopoulos was made vicar general for the Greek Catholics within the jurisdiction of Apostolic Delegation of Constantinople.

The Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Constantinople (Istanbul) was founded on June 11, 1911, as the Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of European Turkey. At the same time, on June 28 (1911), Isaias Papadopulos was appointed titular bishop of Gratianopolis, and he was also entrusted with the initial organization of the newly formed Exarchate, but was not appointed apostolic exarch. That question had to be postponed because of the breakout of Balkan Wars (1912-1913) when Ottoman Empire lost most of its European territory, and the consequent breakout of First World War (1914-1918). First apostolic exarch George Calavassy was appointed only after the war, in 1920.

On June 11, 1932, it lost territory to establish the Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Greece. In 1936 it was renamed as Apostolic Exarchate of Istanbul or of Constantinople. On November 25, 1999, Bishop Louis Pelâtre, A.A., Apostolic Vicar of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Istanbul, was named Apostolic Administrator of the exarchate. On April 16, 2016, Fr. Rubén Tierrablanca Gonzalez, O.F.M, was named administrator of the exarchate, with the retirement of Bishop Pelâtre. He also holds the office of Apostolic Vicar of Istanbul.

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