Diocese of Bruges Dioecesis Brugensis Bisdom Brugge (Dutch) Diocèse de Bruges (French) Bistum Brügge (German) | |
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Location | |
Country | Belgium |
Ecclesiastical province | Mechelen-Brussels |
Metropolitan | Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels |
Coordinates | 51°12′18″N 3°13′21″E / 51.204977°N 3.222416°E |
Statistics | |
Area | 3,145 km2 (1,214 sq mi) |
Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2020) 1,197,690 846,400 (70.7%) |
Information | |
Denomination | Catholic Church |
Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
Rite | Roman Rite |
Established | 12 May 1559 |
Cathedral | St. Salvator's Cathedral in Bruges |
Patron saint | Donatian of Reims |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Bishop | Lodewijk Aerts |
Metropolitan Archbishop | Jozef De Kesel |
Bishops emeritus | Roger Vangheluwe |
Map | |
The diocese of Bruges, coextensive with the province of West Flanders | |
Website | |
https://www.kerknet.be/organisatie/bisdom-brugge |
The Diocese of Bruges (Latin: Dioecesis Brugensis; Dutch: Bisdom Brugge) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Belgium. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels, which covers all of Belgium.
A diocese from 1558 to its suppression in 1801, in 1832 it became a pre-diocesan apostolic vicariate as the Apostolic Administration of West Flanders.[1] Its territory coincides with West Flanders.
The episcopal see of the diocese is St. Salvator's Cathedral, dedicated to Our Savior, in Bruges, West Flanders, which is also a minor basilica. The patron saint of the diocese is Donatian of Reims,[2] so the cathedral is also known as Sint-Salvators- en Donaaskathedraal.