Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Riga

This article is about the current archdiocese. For the medieval archdioces, see Archbishopric of Riga.

Not to be confused with the Lutheran Archbishopric of Riga

Archdiocese of Riga Archidioecesis Rigensis Rīgas arhidiecēze
The Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of St James in Riga
Location
Country	Latvia
Ecclesiastical province	Riga
Statistics
Area	23,587 km^2 (9,107 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2020) 1,182,100 207,560 (17.6%)
Information
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Latin Rite
Cathedral	Svētā Jēkaba Katedrāle (Cathedral Basilica of St. James)
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Metropolitan Archbishop	Zbigņevs Stankevičs
Auxiliary Bishops	Andris Kravalis
Bishops emeritus	Jānis Pujats (cardinal) Jānis Cakuls (auxiliary)
Map
Location of Archdiocese of Riga in Latvia

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Riga is an archdiocese administered from the capital city of Riga in Latvia.[1][2][3] Its cathedral is Svētā Jēkaba Katedrāle. It is a metropolitan archdiocese which also helps to administer three suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Riga in Latvia.

History

• 1186: Established as Diocese of Üxküll
• 1 October 1188: Designated a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Hamburg-Bremen, Germany[4]
• 1202: Renamed as Diocese of Riga
• 20 January 1255: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Riga[5]
• 1561: Suppressed
• 1582-1798 : Diocese of Inflanty
• 22 September 1918: Restored as Diocese of Riga from the Archdiocese of Mohilev in the territory of Vidzeme, Latgale, and Estonia
• 9 June 1920: Added territory of Courland and Zemgale from Diocese of Samogitia[6]
• 25 October 1923: Promoted as Archdiocese of Riga[7]
• 1 November 1924: Lost territory to new Apostolic Administration of Estonia[8]
• 8 May 1937: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Riga;[9] lost territory to new Diocese of Liepāja[10]
• 2 December 1995: Lost territory to new Diocese of Rēzekne–Aglona[11]

Bishops, Apostolic Administrators and Archbishops of Riga (Roman rite)

Archdiocese of Riga

Elevated: 1252[2]
Suppressed: 1540[2]

• Albert Suerber, O.P. (1253 – 1273 Died)
• Juan I de Luna (17 May 1274 – 1286 Died)
• Jens Grand (30 Mar 1302 – 1304 Resigned)
• Johann II Walenrode (27 Sep 1393 – 30 May 1418 Appointed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Liège)
• Johann III Abundi (11 Jul 1418 – 1424 Died)
• Silvester Stodewescher (09 Oct 1448 – 12 Jul 1479)[1]
• Michael Hildebrand (4 Jun 1484 – 5 Feb 1509 Died)[12]
• Jasper Linde (23 May 1509 – 29 Jun 1524)[1]

Diocese of Riga

Erected: 22 September 1918[3]

• Bishop Eduard O’Rourke (29 Sep 1918 – 10 Apr 1920)
• Bishop Antonijs Springovičs (14 Apr 1920 – 25 Oct 1923) (As Bishop of Riga)

Archdiocese of Riga

Elevated: 25 October 1923[3]

• Archbishop Antonijs Springovičs (25 Oct 1923 – 1 Oct 1958) (As Archbishop of Riga)
• Bishop Pēteris Strods (1 Oct 1958 – 5 Aug 1960) (Apostolic Administrator)
• Cardinal Julijans Vaivods (10 Nov 1964 – 24 May 1990) (Apostolic Administrator)
• Bishop John IV Cakuls (23 May 1990 – 8 May 1991) (Apostolic Administrator)
• Cardinal John V Pujats (8 May 1991 – 19 Jun 2010)
• Archbishop Zbigņevs Stankevičs (19 Jun 2010 – )

Suffragan dioceses

• Jelgava
• Liepāja
• Rēzekne-Aglona

See also

• Roman Catholicism in Latvia
• Concordat of 1922

Sources

• GCatholic.org
• Catholic Hierarchy

References

1. GCatholic.org: "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Riga" retrieved January 30, 2016
2. Catholic Hierarchy: "Suppressed Archdiocese of Riga (1252-1540) retrieved January 30, 2016
3. Catholic Hierarchy: "Archdiocese of Riga retrieved January 30, 2016
4. Jānis Broks (2002), Katolicisms Latvijā 800 Gados: 1186-1986, Vēsturisks Atskats, p. 40, ISBN 9984-619-40-0
5. Broks, p. 62
6. Samogitiensis et Rigensis: De finium dioecesanorum commutatione, Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 12 (1920), p. 270
7. Rigensis: Erectionis in archiepiscopatum, Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 15 (1923), p. 585
8. Toomas Abiline and Indrek Oper (2006?), St Peter and St Paul's Cathedral in Tallinn, The Apostolic Administration of Estonia, Tallinn, p. 10
9. Rigensis: Archiepiscopalis ecclesia Rigensis ad metropolitanae ecclesiae gradum et dignitatem evehitur novaque provincia ecclesiastica sub nomine <<Rigensis>> in Lettonia constituitur, Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 29 (1937), p. 387
10. Liepaiensis: A Rigensis archidioecesis territorio pars seiungitur, ex qua nova erigitur dioecesis <<Liepaiensis>> nuncupanda, Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 29 (1937), p. 384
11. Rezeknensis-Aglonensis: In Lettonia nova conditur dioecesis Rezeknensis-Aglonensis, Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 88 (1996), p. 344
12. Catholic Hierarchy: "Archbishop Michael Hildebrandi" retrieved January 30, 2016

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