Archdiocese of Tarragona Archidioecesis Tarraconensis Arxidiòcesi de Tarragona (ca) Archidiócesis de Tarragona (es) |
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Location | |
Country | Spain |
Ecclesiastical province | Tarragona |
Statistics | |
Area | 3,146 km2 (1,215 sq mi) |
Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2010) 549,500 517,800 (94.2%) |
Information | |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
Rite | Roman Rite |
Established | 1st Century (As Diocese of Tarragona) 5th Century (As Archdiocese of Tarragona) |
Cathedral | Primatial Cathedral Basilica of St Mary in Tarragona |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Metropolitan Archbishop | Jaume Pujol Balcells |
Suffragans |
Diocese of Girona Diocese of Lleida Diocese of Solsona Diocese of Tortosa Diocese of Urgell Diocese of Vic |
Map | |
The Archdiocese of Tarragona in dark green. |
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Website | |
Website of the Archdiocese |
The Archdiocese of Tarragona (Latin, Tarraconensis) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory located in north-eastern Spain, in the province of Tarragona, part of the autonomous community of Catalonia. The archdiocese heads the ecclesiastical province of Tarragona, having Metropolitan authority over the suffragan dioceses of Girona, Lleida, Solsona, Tortosa, Urgell and Vic.
The archdiocese, created in Roman times, was reestablished in 1118.
Tarragona is one of the most ancient cities of Spain, probably of Iberian origin, as its coins and Cyclopean walls indicate.
The Romans selected Tarragona as the centre of their government in Spain. In the division of the peninsula it was the capital first of Hispania Citerior (Hither Spain) and then of the Province of Hispania Tarraconensis.
The Church of Tarragona is undoubtedly one of the most ancient in Spain, holding as it does the tradition of the coming of St. James and St. Paul. The visit of St. Paul to Tarragona is not altogether beyond the range of possibilities, supposing that he came from Rome to Spain, as he promised to do, in the Epistle to the Romans (Romans 15:24), and as St. Jerome affirms that he did.