The Archdiocese of Kaunas ( la, Archidioecesis Kaunensis) is a

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 ...

ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the

Catholic Church 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 ...

in Lithuania. The episcopal see is in Kaunas, the second-largest city in Lithuania. The archdiocese's motherchurch and

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

Kaunas Cathedral Basilica Cathedral Basilica of apostles St. Peter and St. Paul of Kaunas ( lt, Kauno Šv. apaštalų Petro ir Povilo katedra bazilika) is a Roman Catholic cathedral basilica in Kaunas, Lithuania. History The exact date when the first Gothic style churc ...

; it is also home to a

Minor Basilica In the Catholic Church, a basilica is a designation given by the Pope to a church building. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectural sense (a rectangular ...

in a town of Šiluva, in the region of

Samogitia Samogitia or Žemaitija ( Samogitian: ''Žemaitėjė''; see below for alternative and historical names) is one of the five cultural regions of Lithuania and formerly one of the two core administrative divisions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

History

Predecessor of the diocese was established according to directions from the Council of Constance on October 24, 1417 as the Diocese of

( pl, Żmudź; lt, Žemaitija), with a see in

Medininkai Medininkai (; be, Меднікі) is a village in Lithuania, located east of Vilnius city municipality and from the Lithuanian–Belarusian border. The village is situated on the Medininkai Highland, near the highest points of Lithuania � ...

. It was the second Catholic diocese in ethnic Lithuanian parts of the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Lit ...

. On March 25, 1798 it lost territory to establish the Diocese of Wigry. On July 3, 1848 it gained territory from the persisting then

Diocese of Vilnius The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Vilnius ( la, Archidioecesis Vilnensis; lt, Vilniaus arkivyskupija) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Lithuania. Established as the Diocese of Vilnius in th ...

, now Lithuania's other Metropolitan see. On June 9, 1920 it lost territory to the existing Diocese of Riga (in Latvia), while in the next year it gained territory from the persisting

Diocese of Sejny 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 associate ...

(in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

). The Apostolic constitution, issued by

Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City f ...

, intended to structure the diocesan territories in accordance with the actual boundaries of Lithuanian Republic after the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of th ...

in 1918. Due to fact, that claimed Lithuanian capital city

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

and the eastern parts of the country were seized by Polish troops in 1920 and annexed by

in 1922, Kaunas became not only the

Temporary capital of Lithuania The temporary capital of Lithuania ( lt, Laikinoji sostinė) was the official designation of the city of Kaunas in Lithuania during the interwar period. It was in contrast to the declared capital in Vilnius, which was part of Poland from 1920 u ...

but also was promoted by Pope Pius XI on April 4, 1926 into the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kaunas, initially with as suffragan sees

Vilkaviškis Vilkaviškis () is a city in southwestern Lithuania, the administrative center of the Vilkaviškis District Municipality. It is located northwest from Marijampolė, at the confluence of of and rivers. The city got its name from the Vilka ...

and

Telšiai Telšiai (; Samogitian: ''Telšē'') is a city in Lithuania with about 21,499 inhabitants. It is the capital of Telšiai County and Samogitia region, and it is located on the shores of Lake Mastis. Telšiai is one of the oldest cities in Lithua ...

in the new Lithuanian

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian Churches with traditional hierarchical structure, including Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity. In general, an ecclesiastical province consists of seve ...

. The then

diocese of Vilnius The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Vilnius ( la, Archidioecesis Vilnensis; lt, Vilniaus arkivyskupija) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Lithuania. Established as the Diocese of Vilnius in th ...

was also elevated into a Metropolitan Archbishopric with its ecclesiastical province in Polish territory. It enjoyed a Papal Visit from

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 ...

in September 1993. On May 28, 1997, parts of the archdiocese have been ceded to the newly founded suffragan Diocese of Šiauliai.

Province

Its

comprises the Metropolitan's own archbishopric and the following suffragan sees : *

Roman Catholic Diocese of Šiauliai ''Diocese of Šiauliai'' (Latin: ''Dioecesis Siauliensis'') is a Roman Catholic Diocese of Lithuania. The current bishop is Eugenijus Bartulis (since 1997). The diocese in present structure and territory was established on May 27, 1997. The dio ...

Roman Catholic Diocese of Telšiai The Roman Catholic Diocese of Telšiai ( la, Telsen(sis)) is a suffragan Latin diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan of Kaunas, one of two in Lithuania. History The diocese was established on 4 April 1926 on territory sp ...

Roman Catholic Diocese of Vilkaviškis The Roman Catholic Diocese of Vilkaviškis ( la, Vilkavisken(sis)) is a diocese located in the city of Vilkaviškis in the Ecclesiastical province of Kaunas in Lithuania. It was established on April 4, 1926 from the Diocese of Łomża, Poland. ...

Episcopal ordinaries

;''Suffragan Bishops of Samogitia'' :''See List of bishops of Samogitia.'' * Matthias di Trakai (1417.10.23 – 1422.05.04), later Bishop of

(1422.05.04 – death 1453.05.09) * Mikalojus Trakiškis (1423.08.06 – death 1434.03) * Petras da Leopoli (1434.09.20 – death 1435.09) * Jokūbas Vilnietis (1436.05.18 – death 1439.06.08) * Baltramiejus Pultuskietis (1440 – death 1453.10.26) * Jurgis Vilnietis (1453.12.19 – death 1464.02.25) * Motiejus Topolietis (1464.08.08 – death 1470.04.24) * Baltramiejus Svirenkavičius (1471.02.13 – death 1482) * Martynas di Samogizia (1483.02.21 – death 1492) * Martynas Lintfaras (Marcin Lintfari) (1492.10.08 – death 1515) * Mikalojus Radvila (

Mikołaj III Radziwiłł Mikolaj Radziwiłł ( lt, Mikalojus Radvila III) (c. 1492–1530) was the Bishop of Samogitia of Radziwill Family. He was son of Mikolaj Radziwiłł, Grand Chancellor of Lithuania Chancellor of Poland ( pl, Kanclerz - , from la, cancellari ...

) (1521.07.18 – death 1530.11.03) * Mikalojus Vizgaila (Mikołaj Wieżgajło) (1531.02.15 – death 1533.01.19) * Vaclovas Virbickis (Wacław Wierzbicki) (1534.04.13 – death 1555.07.18) * Jonas Domanovskis (Jan Domanowski) (1556.04.13 – death 1563.11) * Stanislovas Narkuskis (Stanisław Narkuski) (1564.06.21 – death 1564.09) * Viktorinas Virbickis (Wiktoryn Wierzbicki) (1565.06.08 – 1567.08.22), later Bishop of Łuck and Włodzimierz (Poland) (1567.08.22 – 1586) * Jurgis Petkūnas Petkevičius (Jerzy Pietkiewicz) (1567.11.14 – death 1574.07) * Merkelis Giedraitis (Melchior Giedroyć) (1576.01.16 – death 1609.04.06) * Mikalojus Pacas (Mikołaj Pac) (1610.03.29 – retired 1618.11.26), previously Auxiliary Bishop of

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 Modon (1602.09.09 – 1610.03.29) * Stanislovas Kiška ( Stanisław Kiszka) (1618.11.26 – death 1626.02.13) * Abraomas Voina (

Abraham Woyna Abraham Woyna (Wojna; lt, Abraomas Vaina) (1569–1649) was a Roman Catholic priest and auxiliary bishop of Vilnius (1611–1626), bishop of Samogitia (1626–1631) and then bishop of Vilnius (1631–1649). His term in office was marked by the ...

) (1626.07.20 – 1631.03.24), previously Titular Bishop of Modon (1611.05.25 – 1626.07.20) & Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1611.05.25 – 1626.07.20); later Bishop of Vilnius (1631.03.24 – death 1649.04.14) * Merkelis Elijaševičius Geišas (Melchior Elijaszewicz Geisz) (1631.06.11 – death 1633.01.28) * Jurgis Tiškevičius (

Jerzy Tyszkiewicz Jerzy Tyszkiewicz ( lt, Jurgis Tiškevičius; 1596–1656) was auxiliary bishop of Vilnius from 1627 to 1633, bishop of Samogitia from 1633 to 1649, and bishop of Vilnius from 1649 to 1656. Biography He was born in Vistyčy ( be, Вістыч� ...

) (1633.12.19 – 1649.12.09), previously Titular Bishop of Modon (1627.05.17 – 1633.12.19) & Auxiliary Bishop of

(1627.05.17 – 1633.12.19); later Bishop of Vilnius (1649.12.09 – death 1656.01.17) * Petras Parčevskis (

Piotr Parczewski 200px, Nałęcz coat of arms used by Piotr Parczewski Piotr Parczewski ( be, Пётр Парчэўскі, translit=Petar Parcheўskі, lt, Petras Parčevskis; 1590 – 6 December 1658) was Roman Catholic Bishop of Smolensk in 1636 and Bishop of ...

) (1649.12.09 – death 1658.12.06), previously Bishop of

Smolensk Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest ...

(Lithuania) (1636.09.01 – 1649.12.09) * Aleksandras Kazimieras Sapiega (

Aleksander Kazimierz Sapieha Aleksander Kazimierz Sapieha (13 May 1624 – 22 May 1671) was a Polish nobleman. He became bishop of Samogitia in 1660 and of Vilnius in 1667. After the abdication of Jan Kazimierz, he initially supported the candidacy of Philip William, Ele ...

) (1660.01.12 – 1667.07.18), previously Titular Bishop of Modon (1655.08.02 – 1660.01.12) & Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1655.08.02 – 1660.01.12); later Bishop of Vilnius (1667.07.18 – death 1671.05.22) * Kazimieras Pacas (

Kazimierz Pac Kazimierz Pac (died 1696) was a Polish nobleman and bishop of Smoleńsk Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, w ...

) (1667.10.03 – death 1695), previously Bishop of

(Lithuania) (1664.01.14 – 1667.10.03) * Jonas Jeronimas Krišpinas-Kiršenšteinas (Jan Hieronim Kryszpin-Kirszensztein) (1695.09.19 – death 1708.07.14), previously Titular Bishop of

Martiria Martyropolis is a historical episcopal see of early Christianity, in what was the Roman province of Mesopotamia, now located in modern Turkey. It is now a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church. Historical diocese The diocese was centered on ...

(1696.01.02 – 1706.01.25) & Auxiliary Bishop of

(1696.01.02 – 1710.07.21) * Jonas Mikalojus Zgierskis (Jan Mikołaj Zgierski) (1710.07.21 – death 1713.12.06), previously Titular Bishop of

(1696.01.02 – 1706.01.25) & Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1696.01.02 – 1710.07.21) and next Bishop of

(Russia) (1706.01.25 – 1710.07.21) * Povilas Pranciškus Sapiega (Paweł Franciszek Sapieha), Cistercians (O. Cist.) (1715.01.21 – death 1715.10.01) * Aleksandras Mikalojus Gorainis (Aleksander Mikołaj Horain) (1716.12.07 – death 1735.12.07), previously Titular

Bishop of Tiberias The Diocese of Tiberias was a significant Latin Catholic bishopric in the Crusader state Principality of Galilee, a major direct vassal of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, with see in Tiberias.Richard, Jean (1999) ''The Crusades c. 1071-c 1291'', ...

(1704.09.15 – 1711.12.23) & Auxiliary Bishop of Vilnius (1704.09.15 – 1711.12.23), Bishop of

(Russia) (1711.12.23 – 1716.12.07) * Juozapas Mykolas Karpis (Józef Michał Karp) (1736.11.19 – death 1739.12.10) * Antanas Tiškevičius (Antoni Dominik Tyszkiewicz) (1740.09.16 – death 1762.01.31), previously Titular Bishop of Mennith (1739.07.20 – 1740.09.16) & Auxiliary Bishop of Kijów–Czernihów (Poland) (1739.07.20 – 1740.09.16) * Dominykas Lopacinskis (Jan Dominik Łopaciński) (1762.04.19 – death 1778.01.11) * Bishop Jan Stefan Giedroyć (1778.03.30 – retired 1802.05.13), previously Titular Bishop of

Verinopolis Verinopolis or Berinopolis ( gr, Βηρινούπολις or Βερινούπολις) was a city and bishopric in ancient Galatia, central Anatolia (modern Turkey). History The city is known only from its bishopric and as an administrative uni ...

(1763.08.22 – 1765.04.22) & Auxiliary Bishop of

(1763.08.22 – 1765.04.22), Bishop of Inflanty (Latvia) (1765.04.22 – 1778.03.30)

* Juozapas Arnulfas Giedraitis (Józef Arnulf Giedroyć) (1802.05.13 – death 1838.07.17), succeeding as former Coadjutor Bishop of Samogitia ( 790.12.041791.04.11 – 1802.05.13 & Titular Bishop of

Orthosia ''Orthosia'' is a genus of moths of the family Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because man ...

(1791.04.11 – 1802.05.13) *''

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 ...

Simonas Mikalojus Giedraitis (Szymon Michal Józef Arnold Giedroyć) (1838.07.17 – 1844.08.07), former Titular Bishop of

Adramyttium Adramyttium ( el, Άδραμύττιον ''Adramyttion'', Άδραμύττειον ''Adramytteion'', or Άτραμύττιον ''Atramyttion'') was an ancient city and bishopric in Aeolis, in modern-day Turkey. It was originally located at the he ...

(1804.08.20 – 1838.07.17), Auxiliary Bishop of Samogitia (1804.08.20 – 1829.12) and Coadjutor Bishop of Samogitia (1829.12 – 1838.07.17, not formally succeeding)'' * Jonas Krizostomas Gintila (1844.08.07 – 1849.09.28 ''not possessed'') * Motiejus Valančius (Maciej Kazimierz Wołonczewski) (1849.09.28 – death 1875.05.29) *''

Aleksandras Kazimieras Beresnevičius (Aleksander Kazimierz Bereśniewicz) (1875.05.30 – 1883.03.15), Titular Bishop of Maximianopolis (1858.09.27 – 1883.03.15), former Auxiliary Bishop of Samogitia (1858.09.27 – 1875.05.30); later Bishop of Kujawy–Kalisz (Poland) (1883.03.15 – 1902.06.04)'' * Mečislovas Leonardas Paliulionis (Mieczysław Leonard Pallulon) (1883.03.15 – death 1908.05.02) * Gaspar Felicjan Cyrtowt (1910.04.07 – death 1913.09.20), previously Titular Bishop of Castoria (1897.07.21 – 1910.04.07) & Auxiliary Bishop of Samogitia (1897.07.21 – 1910.04.07) * Pranciškus Karevičius,

Marian Fathers The Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary ( la, Congregatio Clericorum Marianorum ab Immaculata Conceptionis Beatissimae Virginis Mariae) is a Catholic male clerical religious congregation fou ...

(M.I.C.) (1914.02.27 – 1926.03.23), emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Scythopolis (1926.03.23 – 1945.05.30) ;''Metropolitan Archbishops of Kaunas'' * Archbishop

Juozapas Skvireckas Juozapas Skvireckas (1873–1959) was a Lithuanian archbishop of Kaunas (1926–1959). In 1911–1937 he translated the Bible into the Lithuanian language; it was published in six volumes by the Society of Saint Casimir. During the occupation ...

(1926.04.05 – death 1959.12.03), previously Titular Bishop of

Ceramus Ceramus or Keramos ( grc, Κέραμος) is a city on the north coast of the Ceramic Gulf—named after this city—in ancient Caria, in southwest Asia Minor; its ruins can be found outside the modern village of Ören, Muğla Province, Tu ...

& Auxiliary Bishop of Kaunas (1919.03.10 – 1926.04.05) * ''Soviet era semi-vacancy'' (1959–1989) : After Archbishop of Kaunas

left Kaunas with retreating German forces in 1944 into exile, the archdiocese was governed by the following capitular vicars and

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 ...

s, who experienced continuous restrictions and persecutions of Soviet authorities : **'' ? Stanislovas Jokūbauskis (1944–1947)'' **'' ? Juozapas Stankevičius (1947–1965)'' **'' Juozapas Matulaitis-Labukas (Apostolic Administrator 1965.11.24 – 1979.05.28)'' **'' Liudvikas Povilonis (Apostolic Administrator 1979.05.28 – 1988.04.27)'' **'' Juozas Preikšas (Apostolic Administrator 1988.04.27 – 1989.03.10)'' * Cardinal

Vincentas Sladkevičius Vincentas Sladkevičius, M.I.C. (20 August 1920 – 28 May 2000) was a Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. I ...

Congregation of Marian Fathers The Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary ( la, Congregatio Clericorum Marianorum ab Immaculata Conceptionis Beatissimae Virginis Mariae) is a Catholic male clerical religious congregation fo ...

(M.I.C.) (1989.03.10 – retired 1996.05.04), previously Titular Bishop of

Abora Abora is the name of an ancestral solar deity of La Palma ( Canary Islands) and a traditional god of the Guanches. Supreme being Abora (Ibru) is the name of the supreme being of the religion of the Guanches on the island of La Palma. In G ...

(1957.11.14 – 1988.06.28), Auxiliary Bishop of

Kaišiadorys Kaišiadorys () is a city in central Lithuania. It is situated between Vilnius and Kaunas. Kaišiadorys is one of six Lithuanian diocese centres. It is home to the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Christ built in 1932. The Lithuanian Veterinar ...

(Lithuania) (1957.11.14 – 1982.07.15), Apostolic Administrator of Kaišiadorys (1982.07.15 – 1989.03.10); also President of Episcopal Conference of Lithuania (1988–1993); created

Cardinal-Priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

Spirito Santo alla Ferratella Spirito Santo alla Ferratella is a titular church for a cardinal-priest and parish church in Rome, dedicated to the Holy Spirit. Church Located at Via Rocco Scotellaro 11, Roma, Roma, Lazio 00144 (near Viale Cesare Pavese), in the southern prefec ...

(1988.06.28 – death 2000.05.28) BiskupTelšiaiKęstutisKėvalas1

* Archbishop

Sigitas Tamkevičius Sigitas Tamkevičius (born 7 November 1938) is a Lithuanian prelate and Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop emeritus of Kaunas. Pope Francis raised him to the rank of cardinal on 5 October 2019. Biography He graduated from se ...

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

(S.J.) (1996.05.04 – retired 2015.06.11), also President of Episcopal Conference of Lithuania (1999.11.03 – 2002.09.20), Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Lithuania (2002.09.20 – 2005.09.20), President of Episcopal Conference of Lithuania (2005.09.20 – 2014.10.28); previously Titular Bishop of Turuda & Auxiliary Bishop of Kaunas (1991.05.08 – 1996.05.04); as emeritus, became

of Sant'Angela Merici 10.05.2019 * Archbishop

Lionginas Virbalas Archbishop Lionginas Virbalas, S.J. (born 6 July 1961) is a Lithuanian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the Archbishop of the Kaunas from 11 June 2015 until 1 March 2019. He was Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Panevėžys from ...

, S.J. (2015 – retired 2019.03.01), also Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Lithuania (2014.10.28 – 2015.06.11); previously Bishop of

Panevėžys Panevėžys (; Latin: ''Panevezen''; pl, Poniewież; yi, פּאָנעװעזש, ''Ponevezh''; see also other names) is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2011, it occupied with 113,653 inhabitants. As defined by Eurostat, the population ...

(2013.06.06 – 2015.06.11) * Archbishop Kęstutis Kėvalas (2020.02.19 -), previously Bishop of Telšiai (-Klaipeda) (2017.09.18 - 2020.02.19)

References

Official site

Source and External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaunas, Archdiocese 1417 establishments in Europe Religious organizations established in the 1410s Roman Catholic dioceses in Lithuania Roman Catholic dioceses established in the 15th century