Roman Catholic Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv

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Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv Diœcesis Sophiae et Philippopolis Епархия София и Пловдив
Catholic
Cathedral of St Louis, Plovdiv
Location
Country	Bulgaria
Metropolitan	Immediately subject to the Holy See
Statistics
Area	80,000 km2 (31,000 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2014) 4,935,000 33,000 (0.7%)
Information
Denomination	Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	1601 (Diocese of Sardica) 1642 (Archdiocese of Sardica) 1759 (Vicariate Apostolic of Sofia and Plovdiv) 3 March 1979 (Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv)
Cathedral	Катедрален храм „Свети Лудвиг“ ( Cathedral of St. Louis of France), Plovdiv
Co-cathedral	Катедрален храм „Свети Йосиф“ (Cocathedral of St. Joseph), Sofia
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev

The Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv (

Later, Diocletian divided Dacia into Dacia Ripensis and Dacia Mediterranea. Sardica was the civil and ecclesiastical metropolis of the latter. Gallienus established a mint at Sardica, and Constantine the Great, who was born in the region, contemplated making it his capital. The Edict of Serdica ending the Diocletian persecution was signed into law here.

Ecclesiastically, Sardica belonged to the

The earliest known bishop is Protagenes, who assisted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325; the best known is Bonosus, who shortly afterwards attacked the virginity of the Blessed Virgin.

Julian of Sardica who was metropolitan of Dacia Meditteranea attended the Council of Ephesus, in 431.

When it was captured by the Bulgars, they changed its name to

Sardica produced 21 canon. In addition to the attempt to resolve the Arian issue, other major points were:

1. Bishops should not attempt to recruit from diocese other than their own
2. Bishops should be permanent residents of their own diocese
3. Bishops should spend most of their time in their own diocese (not at the court in Rome)
4. Bishops should not be transferred to another diocese

Modern Catholic jurisdiction in Sofia

An Apostolic vicariate (missionary pre-diocesan jurisdiction, entitled to a titular bishop) was created here at an early date and confided to the Franciscans.

In 1610 Rome reestablished – but now as a

It was suppressed towards the end of the eighteenth century, because the Catholics felt persecuted by the Turks and had emigrated, mostly to imperial Austria-Hungary and Russia, yet in 1758 restored, now as Apostolic Vicariate of Sofia–Plovdiv . Relative peace was restored in 1835, and Rome confided the direction of the Catholics to the

In the early 20th century a titular bishop (of various other sees) was the head of this vicariate Apostolic. Sophia had 105,000 inhabitants, of whom a small number are Catholics. The Christian Brothers had a school there, and the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition three convents.

Episcopal ordinaries

(incomplete?; all Latin Rite)

Metropolitan Archbishops of Sofia

• Coadjutor Bishop
  of Sofia (Bulgaria) (1638.02.13 – 1642)
• Pavao Joščić (? – 1719.07)
• Marko Andrijašević (1723.11.20 – ?)
• Gjergj Radovani
  (1767–1771)
• Paolo Dovanli (1771–1776)

Apostolic Vicars of Sofia–Plovdiv

• Giovanni Nepomuceno,
  Holy Ghost Fathers
  (C.SS.R.) (?–?)
• Andrea Canova (1851–1856)
• Francesco Domenico Raynaud (Reynaudi),
  Titular Archbishop of Stauropolis
  (1885.05.05 – death 1893.07.24)
• Roberto Menini, O.F.M. Cap. † (19 May 1885 Appointed – 14 Oct 1916 Died), succeeding as former
  Gangra
  (1885.05.19 – 1916.10.14)
• Vinkenti Peev (Cleto Vincenzo Pejov), O.F.M. Cap. † (14 Oct 1916 Succeeded – 1941 Died), succeeding as former Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Sofia–Plovdiv (Bulgaria) (1912.12.13 – 1916.10.14) & Titular Bishop of Lyrbe (1912.12.13 – 1941.11.03)
• Ivan Romanov (Catholic bishop) † (6 Jul 1942 Appointed – 1959 Died), Titular Bishop of Prizren (Kosovo) (1942.07.06 – 1959)
• Apostolic Administrator
  Simeon Kokov (Kokoff), O.F.M. (1958.04.20 – 1974.07.11)
• Giufi
  (1959.10.10 – 1978.12.14)

Suffragan Bishops of Sofia–Plovdiv

• Bogdan Stefanov Dobranov † (see above 1978.12.14 – 4 Oct 1983 Died)
• Apostolic Administrator 1988.07.06 – 1995.11.13 see below) Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev, Titular Bishop of Lamphua
  (1988.07.06 – 1995.11.13)
• Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev (see above 13 Nov 1995 Appointed – ... )

Titular see of Philippopolis

The position of a Titular Bishop of Philippopolis (in Thracia) (i.e. Plovdiv) existed since 1893 and 1967^[4]

It was originally just called Philippopolis, until 'in Thracia' was added (distinguishing it from several homonymous sees) in 1926 (in curiate Italian; also in Latin in 1933).

It is vacant for decades, having been occupied by the following individuals:

• Giovanni Giorgio Topich, O.F.M. (10 Jul 1859 – 11 Jun 1868)
• Félix-Clair Ridel, M.E.P. (27 Apr 1869 – 20 Jun 1884)
• José Tomás Mazarrasa y Rivas (21 Feb 1885 – 11 Mar 1907 )
• Macario Sorini: 1893–1895
• François Lesné: 1896–1910
• Bonaventura Cerretti: 1914–1914, later Cardinal
• Wincenty Kluczynski: 1914–1917
• Ernesto Cozzi: 1920–1926
• Jean-Pierre Rey: 1926–1930
• Carlo Salotti: 1930–1935, later Cardinal
• Ivan Rafael Rodić: 1936–1954
• Franjo Šeper: 1954–1960, later Cardinal
• Emile-Arsène Blanchet: 1960–1967

Sources and external links

• Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Sardica" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
• GigaCatholic Sofia-Plovid
• GigaCatholic Titular Metropolitan Philippopolis in Thracia
• Council of Sardica
• Arms of the Cross site (Unification of Catholic and Orthodox) Archived 2004-04-21 at the Wayback Machine
• English translations of the Greek and Latin versions of the canon
• Canon and documentation as to when the council was actually held

References