Macedonian Greek Catholic Church

Macedonian Greek Catholic Church
Cathedral of the Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary, Strumica, North Macedonia
Classification	Eastern Catholic
Polity	Episcopal
Structure	Eparchy[1]
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Kiro Stojanov[2]
Region	North Macedonia
Language	Macedonian
Liturgy	Byzantine Rite
Headquarters	Assumption of Mary Cathedral, Strumica, North Macedonia
Founder	John Paul II
Origin	2001
Separated from	Macedonian Orthodox Church
Congregations	7
Members	11,374[3]
Ministers	17[3]
Other name(s)	Macedonian Greek Catholic Eparchy of the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed in Strumica-Skopje[1]

The Macedonian Greek Catholic Church ^[a] or Macedonian Byzantine Catholic Church is a sui juris Eastern Catholic church in full union with the Catholic Church, which uses the Macedonian language in the liturgy. The Macedonian Greek Catholic Church comprises a single eparchy: the Macedonian Catholic Eparchy of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Strumica-Skopje.^[1]

History

An Apostolic Exarch was appointed for Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Macedonia as early as 1883 and lasting until 1922/1924 as part of the Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church.^[4] After the end of World War I and the foundation of Yugoslavia, the Vicariate was absorbed into the Eparchy of Križevci.

In January 2001, a separate Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia was formed for Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in North Macedonia. It was separated from the Eparchy of Križevci and constituted as directly subject to the Holy See.^[5] On the same day (11 January 2001), the Holy See appointed the Latin Bishop of Skopje as the first Apostolic Exarch of North Macedonia.^[6]

Statistics

As of 2017^[update], the Church's membership was estimated at approximately 11,374 faithful, with one bishop, 8 parishes, 16 priests, and 18 religious sisters.^[7]

Year	Members	Priests	Parishes
2000	10,000	10	8
2001	6,320	9	5
2002	11,000	8
2003	11,367		5[8]
2004	11,367[9]	9
2005	11,398		5[9]
2006	11,483	8	5[10]
2007	11,491		5[11]
2008	15,175	10	6[12]
2009	15,041	11	7[13]
2010	15,037		7[7]
2016	11,336	16	8[3]
2017	11,374

List of Hierarchs

Apostolic Exarchs

• Lazar Mladenov (1883–1895), Titular Bishop of Satala
• Epiphany Shanov (1895–1922 or 1924), Titular Bishop of Livias
• Joakim Herbut (2001–2005), Latin Church Bishop of Skopje
• Kiro Stojanov (2005–2018), Latin Church Bishop of Skopje^[8][2]

Eparchs of Strumica

• Kiro Stojanov (2018–present), Latin Church Bishop of Skopje

See also

• Catholic Church in North Macedonia

Notes

1. Latin: Ecclesiae Graecae Catholico Macedonica; Macedonian: Македонска грчка католичка црква

References

1. "Macedonian Church". Catholic Dioceses in the World. GCatholic. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
2. "Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia". Catholic Dioceses in the World. GCatholic. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
3. "The Eastern Catholic Churches" (PDF). Catholic Near East Welfare Association. 2017.
4. Кратка история на Католическата апостолическа екзархия. (In English: A conscise history of the Catholic Apostolic Exarchate - retrieved from the official website of the Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church on January 16, 2012.)
5. Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 93 (2001), p. 339.
6. Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 94 (2002), p. 152.
7. Ronald Roberson. "The Eastern Catholic Churches 2010 Statistics" (PDF). Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
8. Cheney, David M. "Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia". All Dioceses. catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
9. Ronald Roberson. "The Eastern Catholic Churches 2005 Statistics" (PDF). Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
10. Ronald Roberson. "The Eastern Catholic Churches 2006 Statistics" (PDF). Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
11. Ronald Roberson. "The Eastern Catholic Churches 2007 Statistics" (PDF). Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
12. Ronald Roberson. "The Eastern Catholic Churches 2008 Statistics" (PDF). Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
13. Ronald Roberson. "The Eastern Catholic Churches 2009 Statistics" (PDF). Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 December 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2012.

External links

• Eparchy of Križevci (in Croatian)
• Apostolic Exarchate of Macedonia (2001- ) on Catholic Hierarchy
• Article on Greek Catholics in Former Yugoslavia by Ronald Roberson on the CNEWA website