Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Esztergom–Budapest

The Archdiocese of Esztergom–Budapest (Latin: Archidioecesis Strigoniensis–Budapestinensis) is a Latin Church archdiocese and primatial seat of the Roman Catholic Church in Hungary and the metropolitan see of one of Hungary's four Latin Church ecclesiastical provinces.

Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest

Archidioecesis Strigoniensis-Budapestinensis

Esztergom–Budapesti Főegyházmegye
Location
Country Hungary
TerritoryEsztergom-Budapest
Ecclesiastical provinceEsztergom-Budapest
Statistics
Area1,543 km2 (596 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics
(as of 2016)
Decrease2,078,000
Decrease1,249,000 (Steady60.1%)
Parishes188
Information
DenominationCatholic Church
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
Established10th century
(Archdiocese of Esztergom)
31 May 1993
(As Archdiocese of Esztergom–Budapest)
CathedralPrimatial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of Mary and St Adalbert (Esztergom Basilica)
Co-cathedralSt. Stephen's Basilica
Patron saintSaint Stephen I
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
Metropolitan ArchbishopCardinal Péter Erdő
SuffragansDiocese of Győr, Diocese of Székesfehérvár
Auxiliary BishopsMartos Levente Balázs
Gábor Mohos,
Kornél Fábry
Bishops emeritusGáspár Ladocsi
Map
Map of the Archdiocese
Map of the Archdiocese
Website
esztergomi-ersekseg.hu

The archdiocese's archbishop retains the title of "Primate", which gives this see precedence over all other Latin Hungarian dioceses, including the fellow Metropolitan Archbishops of Eger, Kalocsa–Kecskemét and Veszprém, but the incumbent may be individually (and temporarily) outranked if one of them holds a (higher) cardinalate. Its current Archbishop is Péter Erdő.

Duality and special churches

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Its double name reflects that it has (co-)cathedral sees in two major Hungarian cities, the old primatial archiepiscopal seat Esztergom and the present national capital Budapest. These two prominent cities fall under the tutelage of one archdiocese due to Hungary's early history wherein Esztergom was one of the former capitals of the Kingdom of Hungary (much larger than the present republic – roughly the eastern half of the Habsburg monarchy).

The archiepiscopal Cathedral and primatial see is Nagyboldogasszony és Szent Adalbert főszékesegyház, in Esztergom-Vár.

The co-cathedral, a minor basilica and World Heritage Site, is St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest-Szentistvánváros.

The archdiocese has a second minor basilica, Kisboldogasszony-templom, Máriaremete, at Székesfehérvár, in Fejér county.

Statistics

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As of 2016, it pastorally served 1,249,000 Catholics (60.1% of 2,078,000 population) covering 1,543 km2 in 188 parishes and 28 missions with (in 2014) 435 priests (254 diocesan, 181 religious), 23 deacons, 725 lay religious (266 brothers, 459 sisters) and 38 seminarians.

Ecclesiastical province

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The Metropolitan's suffragan sees are the Latin bishops of:

The former Roman Catholic Diocese of Hajdúdorog, until then also its suffragan, was elevated in 2015 to Hungarian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Hajdúdorog (Eastern Catholic archdiocese), now the Metropolitan (with two suffragans in his own province) in chief of the Hungarian Greek Catholic Church, of Byzantine Rite.

History

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It was founded in 1001 by Stephen I of Hungary, as the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Esztergom, on Hungarian territories split off from the dioceses of Nitra, Passau and Regensburg (the latter two with sees in Bavaria, southern Germany). It had a uniquely prominent status, giving the archbishop the title of prince primate, and the privilege of crowning the kings of Hungary.[1]

The Cathedral of Saint Adalbert was consecrated in 1010.[1] The archdiocese lost territory in 1227 to establish the Diocese of Milcovia, but in 1542 gained territory back from the suppressed Diocese of Milcovia.

The archbishop and chaplaincy relocated to Nagyszombat in 1543 before Esztergom fell to the Ottoman Empire. Saint Nicolas Church served as the cathedral. Ottoman occupation of the archdiocese made pastoral care difficult and Protestant teachings spread. Archbishop Miklós Oláh re-established the Esztergom cathedral school at Nagyszombat, and in 1561 invited the Jesuits to administer it.[1]

In 1619, Primate Péter Pázmány founded the Pázmáneum in Vienna as a seminary to train Hungarian candidates for the priesthood.[2] in 1776, the archdiocese was split to establish the suffragan sees of Banská Bystrica, Rožňava and Spiš. In 1820, the episcopal see returned to Esztergom. Work began to restore the cathedral in 1822. The upper church was consecrated in 1856 and saw the premier of Franz Liszt's Missa solennis.

In June 1912, the archdiocese lost territory with the establishment of the Eparchy of Hajdúdorog (as its suffragan; now a Byzantine rite Metropolitan Archeparchy) and in May 1922 to establish the Apostolic Administration of Trnava. In 1938 the 34th International Eucharistic Congress was held in Budapest. In 1948 Cardinal József Mindszenty was arrested and imprisoned by the government. Freed during the short-lived Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Mindszenty was granted political asylum at the United States embassy in Budapest when the Russians invaded.

In August 1991, the archdiocese received a papal visit from Pope John Paul II. Diocesan boundaries were redrawn in 1993 and the Archdiocese renamed the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Esztergom–Budapest, having gained territory from Diocese of Székesfehérvár (which became its suffragan) and Diocese of Vác. St. Stephen's Basilica was named co-cathedral.

List of archbishops

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Metropolitan Archbishops of Esztergom–Budapest
  • László Paskai (see above 3 March 1987 – 7 December 2002) (As Archbishop of Esztergom until 1993)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Imre Asztrik Várszegi, O.S.B. (1988.12.23 – 1991.03.18)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Vilmos Dékány, Sch. P. (1988.12.23 – 2000.05.19)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Archbishop Csaba Ternyák (later Archbishop) (1992.12.24 – 1997.12.11)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Antal Spányi (1998.02.13 – 2003.04.04)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Miklós Beer (2000.04.08 – 2003.05.27)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Gáspár Ladocsi (2001.11.28 – 2010.11.26)
  • Péter Erdõ (7 December 2002 – ...), created Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria Nuova (2003.10.21 [2004.03.09] – ...), also President of Hungarian Episcopal Conference (2005.09 – 2015.09.02), President of Council of European Bishops' Conferences (2006.10.08 – 2016.10.08); previously Titular Bishop of Puppi (1999.11.05 – 2002.12.07) as Auxiliary Bishop of Székesfehérvár (Hungary) (1999.11.05 – 2002.12.07)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: László Kiss-Rigó (2004.01.24 – 2006.06.20)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: György Udvardy (2004.01.24 – 2011.04.09)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: János Székely (2007.11.14 – 2017.06.18)
    • Auxiliary bishop Ferenc Cserháti (2007.06.15 – ...), Titular Bishop of Centuria (2007.06.15 – ...)
    • Auxiliary bishop György Snell (2014.10.20 – 2021.02.26), Titular Bishop of Pudentiana (2014.10.20 – 2021.02.26)

Auxiliary episcopate

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    • Auxiliary Bishop: István Bagi (1979.03.31 – 1986.01.31)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Iván Pálos (1975.01.07 – 1987.03.28)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: György Zemplén (1969.01.10 – 1973.03.29)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Mihály Endrey-Eipel (1957–1972)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Imre Szabó (1951.03.11 – 1976.05.21)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Blessed Zoltán Lajos Meszlényi (1937.09.22 – 1953.01.11)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Stefano Breyer (1929.04.05 – 1933.12.13)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Lajos Rajner (1906.06.14 – 1920.03.27)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Josef Medard Kohl, O.S.B. (1900.12.17 – 1928.01.15)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Paulus Palásthy (1886.05.04 – 1899.09.24)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: József Boltizár (1875.08.24 – 1905.05.17)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Joseph Szabó (1868.06.22 – 1884.04.27)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Giuseppe Durguth (1865.09.25 – ?)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Emerico Tóth (1857.09.25 – 1865.01.06)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Jozef Viber (1856.06.19 – 1866.01.15)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Joseph Krautmann (1852.03.15 – 1855)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Peter de Ürményi (1820.08.28 – 1839.11.15)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Giovanni Benyovszky (1820.08.28 – 1827?)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Istvan Gosztonyi (1815.12.18 – 1817)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Karol Perényl (1808.07.11 – 1819.03.15)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Nikolaus Rauscher (1808.03.16 – 1815)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: József Király (1807.09.18 – 1808.01.11)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Márton Görgey (1804.09.24 – 1807.08.01)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Ladislaus Luzenszky (1779.12.13 – 1792)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Stephanus Nagy (1776.12.16 – 1804)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Georgius Richvaldszky (1776.12.16 – 1779.08.07)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Anton Révay (1754.05.20 – 1776.09.16)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Paulus de Révay (1753.03.12 – 1776)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Ferenc Zichy (1742.09.24 – 1744.03.16)
    • Auxiliary Bishop: Giorgio Trivulzio, B. (1678.11.07 – 1689)

See also

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References

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  • GCatholic.org with Google map – data for all sections
  • Archdiocese of Esztergom–Budapest website (only in Hungarian)
  • Catholic Hierarchy
  • History of the Archdiocese (only in Hungarian)
  • Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Archdiocese of Gran" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

47°47′56″N 18°44′11″E / 47.7989°N 18.7364°E / 47.7989; 18.7364