The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv is a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...

of the

Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...

"Diocese of Sofia e Plovdiv"
''

Catholic-Hierarchy.org ''Catholic-Hierarchy.org'' is an online database of bishops and dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Catholic Churches. The website is not officially sanctioned by the Church. It is run as a private project by David M. Cheney in ...

''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved October 7, 2016"Diocese of Sofia e Plovdiv"
''GCatholic.org''. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved October 7, 2016 which includes the whole southern part of

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

. The remainder of Bulgaria falls within the Diocese of Nicopoli. The diocese is exempt, i.e. immediately subject of the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

, not part of any ecclesiastical province. The seat of the episcopal see is the Cathedral of St Louis is in Plovdiv and there is a new co-cathedral in

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...

— the Cathedral of St. Joseph, consecrated on May 21, 2006 by Cardinal Angelo Sodano. The construction was symbolically started by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

during his visit in Sofia in 2002.

History

The former name of the city, and of the previous diocese (now Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria) was Serdica, the city of the

Serdi The Serdi were a Celtic tribe inhabiting Thrace. They were located around Serdica ( bg, Сердика, Serdika; ; el, Σαρδική o Σαρδῶν πόλις, Sardike o Sardon polis), now Sofia in Bulgaria, which reflects their ethnonym. They ...

, a Celtic people defeated by Crassus in 29 BC and subjected to the Kingdom of Thrace, then a

vassal state A vassal state is any state that has a mutual obligation to a superior state or empire, in a status similar to that of a vassal in the feudal system in medieval Europe. Vassal states were common among the empires of the Near East, dating back to ...

republican Rome The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman King ...

. When this kingdom was suppressed in 49 BC, the Serdi were included in the

Roman Province The Roman provinces (Latin: ''provincia'', pl. ''provinciae'') were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was rule ...

Thracia Thracia or Thrace ( ''Thrakē'') is the ancient name given to the southeastern Balkan region, the land inhabited by the Thracians. Thrace was ruled by the Odrysian kingdom during the Classical and Hellenistic eras, and briefly by the Greek D ...

. Roman Emperor

Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...

transformed the borough of the Serdi into a city which he called

Ulpia Serdica Ulpia may refer to: People * Ulpia gens, ancient Roman family which produced the emperor Trajan (98–117) Places A number of Roman settlements, mostly named in honour of the Emperoro Trajan: * Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, the capital of Roman Dac ...

. In 275 Aurelian caused Dacia beyond the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...

to be evacuated, and transplanted to Moesia and Roman Thracia the soldiers and colonists who were faithful to the Roman cause. The country occupied by these immigrants formed the new Province of

Dacia Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black Sea in the east, and the Tisza in the west. The Carpathian Mountains were located in the middle of Dacia. It ...

, Sardica being included in this province (Homo, "Essai sur le règne de l'empereur Aurélien", pp. 313–21). Later, Diocletian divided Dacia into Dacia Ripensis and Dacia Mediterranea. Sardica was the civil and ecclesiastical

metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big ci ...

of the latter.

Gallienus Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (; c. 218 – September 268) was Roman emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260 and alone from 260 to 268. He ruled during the Crisis of the Third Century that nearly caused the collapse of the empi ...

established a mint at Sardica, and

Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...

, who was born in the region, contemplated making it his capital. The

Edict of Serdica The Edict of Serdica, also called Edict of Toleration by Galerius, was issued in 311 in Serdica (now Sofia, Bulgaria) by Roman Emperor Galerius. It officially ended the Diocletianic Persecution of Christianity in the Eastern Roman Empire. The E ...

ending the Diocletian persecution was signed into law here. Ecclesiastically, Sardica belonged to the

Patriarchate of Rome The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rom ...

until 733, when it was annexed to the

Patriarchate of Constantinople The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...

until 809. Upon the conversion of the Bulgarians to Christianity in 865, Sardica was one of the first cities which had an episcopal see. Until 1204 it was included in the Graeco-Bulgarian Patriarchate of Achrida, until 1393 in the Bulgarian Patriarchate of Tirnovo and until 1872 again in the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Since then Sardica, which is now called Sophia, belongs to the Orthodox national Church of Bulgaria. The earliest known bishop is Protagenes, who assisted at the

First Council of Nicaea The First Council of Nicaea (; grc, Νίκαια ) was a council of Christian bishops convened in the Bithynian city of Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey) by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325. This ecumenical council was the first effort ...

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 Sredetz, later transformed by the Greeks into Sraditza and Triaditza. Again occupied by the 'Greek' Byzantines from 1018 to 1186, it enjoyed great prosperity; a section of the population was Paulician or Manichaean, heresies from both Catholic and (later) Orthodox points of view. After some years of troubles it again fell into the power of the Bulgars. Its present name of Sophia dates from the Middle Ages, though the precise date of its first use cannot be assigned; in the sixteenth century Sredetz and Sophia were used simultaneously. In 1382 the city was captured by the Ottoman Turks, and for more than four centuries it was the residence of the

beglerbeg ''Beylerbey'' ( ota, بكلربكی, beylerbeyi, lit= bey of beys, meaning the 'commander of commanders' or 'lord of lords') was a high rank in the western Islamic world in the late Middle Ages and early modern period, from the Anatolian Selj ...

(governor general) of all Rumelia. In 1878 Sophia was chosen as the capital of the tributary Principality of Bulgaria, and since 1908 became the capital of the

Kingdom of Bulgaria The Tsardom of Bulgaria ( bg, Царство България, translit=Tsarstvo Balgariya), also referred to as the Third Bulgarian Tsardom ( bg, Трето Българско Царство, translit=Treto Balgarsko Tsarstvo, links=no), someti ...

, later of the present republic.

Ancient Bishopric

Melitone (2nd century) Giuliano (4th century) Protogene (316 - 343) Apollinare ( fl380 ) Giuliano(424 - 431) Zosimo (fl 458) Domnus (fl 516) Basil (553 - circa. 550) Teupreprio † (6th century) Felice (fl 594) Eutimio(9th or 10th century)

Council of Sardica

The Council of Sardica was summoned as an

Ecumenical Council An ecumenical council, also called general council, is a meeting of bishops and other church authorities to consider and rule on questions of Christian doctrine, administration, discipline, and other matters in which those entitled to vote ar ...

in 342, 343, or 347 in response to the Arian

Heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...

. Emperors

Constans Flavius Julius Constans ( 323 – 350), sometimes called Constans I, was Roman emperor from 337 to 350. He held the imperial rank of '' caesar'' from 333, and was the youngest son of Constantine the Great. After his father's death, he was mad ...

and Constantius, the two remaining sons of

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...

worked together at the urging of Pope Julius in response to this heresy that not only divided the church, but the state as well. Constans, Augustus in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, favored the Nicene

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

s while Constantius, Augustus in

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

, often supported Arian ones. To help insure equal representation to solve this divisive issue, Sardica (now

) was chosen as a location near the division between eastern and western portions of the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

State. However, fearing domination of the council by Western bishops, many Eastern bishops left the council to hold another council in Philippopolis. As a result, the Council of Sardica failed to universally represent the church and is not one of the official Ecumenical Councils. Sardica produced 21

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

. In addition to the attempt to resolve the Arian issue, other major points were: #Bishops should not attempt to recruit from diocese other than their own #Bishops should be permanent residents of their own diocese #Bishops should spend most of their time in their own diocese (not at the court in Rome) #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 A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox ...

) was created here at an early date and confided to the

Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

. In 1610 Rome reestablished – but now as a suffragan bishopric – the episcopal see of Sophia, which in 1643 was made archiepiscopal again. 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

Redemptorists The Redemptorists officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer ( la, links=no, Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris), abbreviated CSsR,is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brother ...

, under a

vicar Apostolic A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

who had not received episcopal consecration. The Redemptorists were replaced by the

Capuchins Capuchin can refer to: *Order of Friars Minor Capuchin The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from t ...

in 1841, their superior being consecrated bishop in 1848. In the early 20th century a

(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 The Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Apparition (French: ''Sœurs de Saint-Joseph-de-l'Apparition''; Latin: ''Institutum Sororum a S. Joseph ab Apparitione''; abbreviation: ''S.J.A.'') is a religious institute of pontifical right whose members pr ...

three convents.

Episcopal ordinaries

(incomplete?; all

Latin Rite Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church '' sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language once ...

) ; ''Metropolitan Archbishops of Sofia'' * Petrus Deodatus,

Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (also called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the teachi ...

(O.F.M.) (1642 – death 1672), Titular Bishop of Callipolis (1638.02.13 – 1642), succeeding as former Coadjutor Bishop of Sofia (Bulgaria) (1638.02.13 – 1642) * Pavao Joščić (? – 1719.07) * Marko Andrijašević (1723.11.20 – ?) *

Gjergj Radovani Giorgio Angelo Radovani ( la, Georgius Angelus Radovani, sq, Gjergj Engjëll Radovani; 1734–1790) was an Albanian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Life Radovani was born in İşkodra (Shkodër), at the time part of the Ottoman Empire ( ...

(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),

Capuchin Franciscans The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM ...

(O.F.M. Cap.) † (12 Dec 1867 Appointed – 1885 Resigned),

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox ...

of Ægeæ (1867.12.12 – 1885.05.05),

Titular Archbishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

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 Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Sofia–Plovdiv (Bulgaria) (1880.01.30 – 1885.05.05) & Titular Bishop of

Metellopolis Motella, Metello(u)polis, or Pulcherianopolis was a city in the Roman province of Phrygia Pacatiana, in Asia Minor, probably on the site of the modern Medele. Inscriptions make known a Phrygian town named Motella, which name is connected with the ...

(1880.01.30 – 1885.05.19), emeritate as

of Gangra (1885.05.19 – 1916.10.14) *

Vinkenti Peev Vinkenti Peev ( bg, Винкенти Пеев) was a Bulgarians, Bulgarian Catholic priest, Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, Capuchin friar and Vicar Apostolic of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv. Life Peev was born on 11 Novembe ...

(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 An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic adm ...

Simeon Kokov (Kokoff), O.F.M. (1958.04.20 – 1974.07.11)'' * Bogdan Stefanov Dobranov † (22 Jul 1975 Appointed – 1978.12.14 ''see below''), Titular Bishop of

Giufi Bir Mcherga ( Arabic : بئر مشارڨة ) is a town and commune in the Zaghouan Governorate, Tunisia in the northwest of Tunisia, the site of former Roman North African city and bishopric Giufi, which only remains as Latin Catholic titular see. ...

(1959.10.10 – 1978.12.14) ;''Suffragan Bishops of Sofia–Plovdiv'' * Bogdan Stefanov Dobranov † (''see above'' 1978.12.14 – 4 Oct 1983 Died) *''

'' 1988.07.06 – 1995.11.13 ''see below'') Gheorghi Ivanov Jovcev, Titular Bishop of

Lamphua Lamphua was an ancient city and bishopric in Roman Africa and remains a Latin Catholic titular see. Its present location is Aïn-Foua, in modern Algeria. History Lamphua was important enough in the late Roman province of Numidia to be one of it ...

(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 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 François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, Kin ...

: 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 Archbishop Ivan Rafael Rodić, O.F.M. (also , it, Giovanni Raffaele Rodic; June 15, 1870 – May 10, 1954) was a Croatian Franciscan prelate, who served as the first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Belgrade-Smederevo between 1 ...

: 1936–1954 *

Franjo Šeper Franjo Šeper (2 October 1905 – 30 December 1981) was a Croatian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 1968 to 1981, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1965. B ...

: 1954–1960, later Cardinal * Emile-Arsène Blanchet: 1960–1967

Sources and external links

*
GigaCatholic Sofia-Plovid

* ttp://www.synaxis.org/ecf/volume37/ECF37THE_CANONS_OF_THE_SYNODS_OF_SARD.htm Canon and documentation as to when the council was actually held

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sofia and Plovdiv, Roman Catholic Diocese 340s Culture in Sofia Roman Catholic dioceses in Bulgaria Culture in Plovdiv