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Roman Catholic Diocese of Linz

Diocese of Linz
Dioecesis Linciensis
Diözese Linz
Linz-Dom.jpg
Location
Country Austria
Territory Upper Austria
Ecclesiastical province Archdiocese of Vienna
Metropolitan Linz
Statistics
Area 11,909 km2 (4,598 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics
(as of 2013)
1,423,000
1,000,314 (70.3%)
Information
Denomination Roman Catholic
Rite Roman Rite
Established January 28, 1785
Cathedral Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Patron saint Saint Florian
Saint Severinus
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Bishop Manfred Scheuer
Metropolitan Archbishop Christoph Schönborn
Emeritus Bishops Maximilian Aichern
Ludwig Schwarz
Map
Bistuemer oesterreich linz.png
Website
Website of the Diocese

The Diocese of Linz (Latin: Dioecesis Linciensis) is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vienna, Austria.

In the early Middle Ages the greater part of the territory of the present Diocese of Linz was subject to the bishops of Lauriacum (Lorch); at a later date it formed part of the great Diocese of Passau, which extended from the Isar to the Leitha. The Prince-Bishop of Passau personally administered the upper part or Upper Austria, while an auxiliary bishop, having his residence in Vienna and called the Official, administered for him the eastern part or Lower Austria.

To do away with the political influence in his territories of the bishops of Passau, who were also princes of the Empire, Joseph II decided to found two new dioceses. These were in Linz and St. Pölten, which in a certain measure were to renew the old Lauriacum, and the emperor only awaited the death of Cardinal Firmian, then Bishop of Passau, to carry out his plans.

The cardinal's eyes were scarcely closed (d. 13 March 1783), before the emperor on 16 March seized all the landed property of the Diocese of Passau in his territories.

By an agreement of 4 July 1784, the confiscation of all the properties and rights belonging to the Diocese of Passau in Austria was annulled, and the tithes and revenues were restored to it.

The first bishop (1785-8), Ernest Johann Nepomuk, Imperial Count von Herberstein and formerly titular Bishop of Eucarpia, had been the Official of the Prince-Bishop of Passau and Vicar-General of Lower Austria.


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