The Archdiocese of Naples (; ); ) is a

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

archdiocese 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 associated ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

in southern

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, the see being in

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

. A

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

community was founded there in the 1st century AD and the

diocese of Naples The Diocese of Naples was a Roman Catholic diocese in southern Italy, the see being in Naples. A Christian community was founded there in the 1st century AD and the diocese was raised to the level of a Metropolitan Archdiocese in the 10th century, ...

was raised to the level of an

Archdiocese 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 associated ...

in the 10th century."Archdiocese of Napoli "
''

Catholic-Hierarchy.org ''Catholic-Hierarchy.org'' is an online database of bishops and dioceses of the Latin Church and the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches that are in full communion with Rome. The website, not officially sanctioned by the Church, is run as a private pro ...

''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016"Metropolitan Diocese of Napoli"
''GCatholic.org''. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016 Two Archbishops of

have been elected

Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

Paul IV Pope Paul IV (; ; 28 June 1476 – 18 August 1559), born Gian Pietro Carafa, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 May 1555 to his death, in August 1559. While serving as papal nuncio in Spain, he developed ...

and

Innocent XII Pope Innocent XII (; ; 13 March 1615 – 27 September 1700), born Antonio Pignatelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 July 1691 to his death in September 1700. He took a hard stance against nepotism ...

. In 2004 it counted c. 1,600,000 baptized people. The current ordinary of the Archdiocese of Naples is Cardinal

Crescenzio Sepe Crescenzio Sepe (; born 2 June 1943) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Naples from 2006 to 2020. He served in the Roman Curia as Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples from 2001 to ...

Lucio Lemmo Lucio Lemmo (born May 23, 1946 in Naples) is an Italian bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He was ordained a priest on 18 July 1973, and made auxiliary bishop of Naples and titular bishop of Turres Ammeniae in North Africa on 9 January 2010. He ...

and

Gennaro Acampa Januarius ( ; ; Neapolitan and ), also known as , was Bishop of Benevento and is a martyr and saint of the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and Armenian Apostolic Church. While no contemporary sources on his life are preserved, later s ...

are auxiliary bishops. In the foreword to the

Summa Theologica The ''Summa Theologiae'' or ''Summa Theologica'' (), often referred to simply as the ''Summa'', is the best-known work of Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), a scholastic theologian and Doctor of the Church. It is a compendium of all of the main t ...

, the famous theological summary of the Catholic Church's doctrines, where a biography of the author,

Saint Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas ( ; ; – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican friar and priest, the foremost Scholastic thinker, as well as one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the Western tradition. A Doctor of the Church, he wa ...

, is found, it is mentioned that he was offered the post of Archbishop of Naples (in the 1200s), which even then was one of the most prominent archdioceses, but turned it down.

Bishops

*Cardinal

Enrico Minutoli Enrico Minutoli (died 1412) was an Italian Cardinal. He was bishop of Bitonto from 1382 to 1389 and then archbishop of Naples. He was also archpriest of the Liberian Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore (), also known as the Basilica of Saint Mary ...

(1389–1400 Resigned) *Cardinal Giordano Orsini (iuniore) (1400–1405 Appointed, Cardinal-Priest of

Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti San Martino ai Monti, officially known as Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti ("Saints Sylvester & Martin in the Mountains"), is a minor basilica in Rome, Italy, in the Rione Monti (rione of Rome), Monti neighbourhood. It is located near the edge o ...

) ... *

Gaspard de Diano Gaspard de Diano or Gaspare de Diano (1389–1451) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Naples (1438–1451), ''(in Latin)'' Archbishop of Conza (1422–1438), ''(in Latin)'' and Bishop of Teano (1412–1422). ''(in Latin) ...

(1438–1451 Died) *Cardinal

Rinaldo Piscicello Rinaldo Piscicello (c1415–1457) (called the Cardinal of Naples) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Rinaldo Piscicello was born in Naples in 1415 or 1416, the son of Nicola Piscicello and Maria d'Alagni. His mother was ...

(1451–1457 Died) *Cardinal

Giacomo Tebaldi Giacomo Tebaldi (died 1465) (called the Cardinal of Montefeltro or the Cardinal of Sant'Anastasia) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography Giacomo Tebaldi was born in Rome, the son of nobles Marco and Ventura Tebaldi. His ...

(1458–1458 Resigned) *Cardinal

Oliviero Carafa Oliviero Carafa (10 March 1430 – 20 January 1511), in Latin Oliverius Carafa, was an Italian cardinal and diplomat of the Renaissance. Like the majority of his era's prelates, he displayed the lavish and conspicuous standard of living that w ...

(1458–1484 Resigned) * Alessandro Carafa (1484–1503 Died) *Cardinal

(1503–1505 Resigned) *Cardinal Gianvincenzo Carafa (1505–1530 Resigned) * Francesco Carafa (1530–1544 Died) *Cardinal Ranuccio Farnese,

O.S.Io.Hieros. The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there u ...

(1544–1549 Resigned) *Cardinal

Gian Pietro Carafa Pope Paul IV (; ; 28 June 1476 – 18 August 1559), born Gian Pietro Carafa, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 May 1555 to his death, in August 1559. While serving as papal nuncio in Spain, he developed ...

(1549–1555 Elected, Pope) *Cardinal

Alfonso Carafa Alfonso Carafa (16 July 1540 – 29 August 1565) was a member of one of the oldest noble families of Naples and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. His father was Antonio, Marquis of Montebello, whose uncle, Gian Pietro Carafa, ascended ...

(1557–1565 Died) *

Mario Carafa Mario Carafa (died 1576) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Naples (1565–1576). ''(in Latin)''Paul Burali d'Arezzo Paolo Burali d'Arezzo (1511 – 17 June 1578) was an Italian priest of the Theatine Order, a bishop, and cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. His legal skills made him a prominent figure in the law courts of Naples, and then in the councils of ...

, C.R. (1576–1578 Died) *

Annibale de Capua Annibale is the Italian masculine given name and surname equivalent to Hannibal. In English, it may refer to : Given name * Annibale Albani (1682–1751), Italian cardinal * Annibale I Bentivoglio, (died 1445), ruler of Bologna from 1443 * Anniba ...

(1578–1595 Died) *Cardinal

Alfonso Gesualdo di Conza Alfonso Gesualdo di Conza (20 October 1540 – 14 February 1603) was an Italian Cardinal starting in 1561. He was from Calitri, not far from Naples. His attendance at the papal conclave of 1565-1566 at the age of only 25 makes him one of the yo ...

(Gonza) (1596–1603 Died) :*''

Curtio Palumbo Curtio Palumbo or Curzio Palumbo was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Titular Bishop of ''Margarita'' (1622–?). ''(in Latin)'' Biography Curtio Palumbo was born in Naples, Italy. In 1604, he served as vicar general of the Archdiocese ...

(1604–1605), vicar general'' *Cardinal Ottavio Acquaviva d'Aragona (seniore) (1605–1612 Died) *

Decio Carafa Decio Carafa (1556–1626) was an Archbishop of Naples who had previously served as papal nuncio to the Spanish Netherlands (1606–1607) and to Habsburg Spain (1607–1611). Life Carafa was born in Naples in 1556, the son of Ottaviano Carafa, l ...

(1613–1626 Died) *Cardinal

Francesco Boncompagni Don Francesco Boncompagni (21 January 1592 – 9 December 1641) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal, made cardinal in 1621. Biography Born at Sora, Lazio, Sora, son of Giacomo Boncompagni, 1st Duke of Sora, Aquino, Arce and Arpino, 1st ...

(1626–1641 Died) *Cardinal

Ascanio Filomarino Ascanio Filomarino (1583 – 3 November 1666) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal, who was Archbishop of Naples from 1641 to 1666. Early life Filomarino was born in Naples to the noble family of the dukes Della Torre. Eldest of the five sons o ...

(1641–1666 Died) *Cardinal Innico Caracciolo (seniore) (1667–1685 Died) *Cardinal

Antonio Pignatelli del Rastrello Pope Innocent XII (; ; 13 March 1615 – 27 September 1700), born Antonio Pignatelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 July 1691 to his death in September 1700. He took a hard stance against nepotism ...

(1686–1691 Elected Pope Innocent XII) *Cardinal

Giacomo Cantelmo Giacomo Cantelmo (13 June 1645 – 11 December 1702) was a Roman Catholic cardinal from 1690 to 1702. Biography Giacomo Cantelmo was born in Naples on 13 June 1645, the son of Fabrizio Cantelmo, 5th Duke of Popoli and prince of Pettorano, and ...

(1691–1702 Died) *

Giambattista Patrizi Giovanni Battista was a common Italian given name (see Battista for those with the surname) in the 16th-18th centuries. It refers to "John the Baptist" in English, the French equivalent is "Jean-Baptiste". Common nicknames include Giambattista, Gi ...

(1702–1703 Resigned) *Cardinal

Francesco Pignatelli Francesco Pignatelli (6 February 1652 – 15 December 1734) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal from the House of Pignatelli. Early life Pignatelli was born on 6 February 1652 at Senise, in the Province of Potenza. He was the younges ...

(seniore), C.R. (1703–1734 Died) *Cardinal

Giuseppe Spinelli Giuseppe Spinelli (1 February 1694 – 12 April 1763) was an Italian cardinal. He was Prefect of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith Biography A native of Naples, he was the son of Giambattista Spinelli, marquis of Fuscaldo, prin ...

(1734–1754 Resigned) * Antonino Sersale (1754–1775 Died) *

Serafino Filangeri Serafino may refer to: People * Serafino dell'Aquila (1466–1500), Italian poet and musician * Seraphin of Montegranaro (1540–1605) (Italian: Serafino da Montegranaro), Italian Capuchin friar and saint * Serafino de' Serafini (1323–1393), It ...

(Filangieri),

O.S.B. The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, they ...

(1776–1782 Died) *Cardinal

Giuseppe Maria Capece Zurlo Giuseppe Maria Capece Zurlo, Theat. (3 January 1711, Monteroni di Lecce, Apulia – 31 December 1801) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal who served as Archbishop of Naples. Capece Zurlo was born in Monteroni di Lecce, A ...

, C.R. (1782–1801 Died) *

Giovanni Vincenzo Monforte Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * ''Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend of ...

(1802–1802 Died) *Cardinal

Luigi Ruffo Scilla Luigi Ruffo-Scilla JUD (25 August 1750 – 17 November 1832) was a Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church who served as Apostolic Nuncio to Austria and Archbishop of Naples. Early life and priesthood Luigi Ruffo-Scilla was b ...

(1802–1832 Died) *Cardinal

Filippo Giudice Caracciolo Filippo Giudice Caracciolo was an Italian prelate who was archbishop of Naples from 1833 to 1844. Life Born into a noble family in Naples on 27 March 1785, he entered the Oratorian order in the late years of the 18th century. He was ordaine ...

, C.O. (1833–1844 Died) *Cardinal

Sisto Riario Sforza Sisto Riario Sforza (5 December 1810 – 29 September 1877) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal who served as the Archbishop of Naples from 1845 until his death. Sforza's rapid rise through the Church ranks began with various appointment ...

(1845–1877 Died) *Cardinal Guglielmo Sanfelice D'Acquavella,

(1878–1897 Died) *Cardinal Vincenzo Maria Sarnelli (1897–1898 Died) *Cardinal

Giuseppe Antonio Ermenegildo Prisco Giuseppe Antonio Ermenegildo Prisco (8 September 1833 – 4 February 1923) was an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who was Archbishop of Naples. Biography Prisco was born in Boscotrecase, near Naples. He was educated at the A ...

(1898–1923 Died) * Michele Zezza (1923–1923 Retired) *Cardinal

Alessio Ascalesi Alessio Ascalesi (22 October 1872 – 11 May 1952) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of Naples. Biography Ascalesi was born in Casalnuovo di Napoli, Casalnuovo, near Naples. He joined ...

, C.Pp.S. (1924–1952 Died) *Cardinal

Marcello Mimmi Marcello Mimmi (18 July 1882 – 6 March 1961) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholicism), Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archdiocese of Naples, Archbishop of Naples from 1952 to 1957, and Secretary of the Congregation for Bish ...

(1952–1958 Appointed, Cardinal-Bishop of

Sabina e Poggio Mirteto Sabina may refer to: Places and jurisdictions * Sabina (region), region and place in Italy, and hence: * The now Suburbicarian Diocese of Sabina (-Poggio Mirteto), Italy * Magliano Sabina, city, Italy * Pozzaglia Sabina, city, Italy *Fara Sab ...

) *Cardinal

Alfonso Castaldo Alfonso Castaldo (6 November 1890 – 3 March 1966) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archdiocese of Naples, Archbishop of Naples from 1958 until his death, and was elevated to the Cardin ...

(1958–1966 Died) *Cardinal

Corrado Ursi Corrado Ursi (26 July 1908 – 29 August 2003) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Naples from 1966 to 1987, and was created a cardinal in 1967, given the titular church of San Callisto.Michele Giordano Michele Giordano (26 September 1930 – 2 December 2010) was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate, who was the Archbishop of Naples and a cardinal-priest. Biography Giordano was born at Sant'Arcangelo, in Basilicata. He was educated at the Minor ...

(1987–2006 Retired) *Cardinal

(20 May 2006–12 December 2020 Retired) *Cardinal

Domenico Battaglia Domenico Battaglia (Naples, 1842 – Naples, 1904) was an Italian painter, mainly of interior vedute. Biography He was a member of the Neapolitan School of Posillipo. He studied at the Royal Institute of Fine Arts in Naples, and later became an ...

(12 December 2020 Appointed-)

Suffragan dioceses

Acerra Acerra () is a town and ''comune'' of Campania, southern Italy, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, about northeast of the capital in Naples. It is part of the Agro Acerrano plain. History Acerra is one of the most ancient cities of the regi ...

* Alife-Caiazzo *

Aversa Aversa () is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Caserta in Campania, southern Italy, about 24 km north of Naples. It is the centre of an agricultural district, the ''Agro Aversano'', producing wine and cheese (famous for the typical dome ...

Capua Capua ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, southern Italy, located on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. History Ancient era The name of Capua comes from the Etruscan ''Capeva''. The ...

Caserta Caserta ( ; ) is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. An important agricultural, commercial, and industrial ''comune'' and city, Caserta is located 36 kilometres north of Naples on the edge of the Campanian p ...

Ischia Ischia ( , , ) is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about from the city of Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands. Although inhabited since the Bronze Age, as a Ancient G ...

Nola Nola is a town and a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, southern Italy. It lies on the plain between Mount Vesuvius and the Apennines. It is traditionally credited as the diocese that introduced bells to Christian worship. ...

Pompei Pompei (; ), also known in English as Pompeii ( ) after the name of the ancient city, is a city and in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy. It contains the ancient Roman ruins of Pompeii, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. History Modern Po ...

Pozzuoli Pozzuoli (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) of the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. It is the main city of the Phlegrean Peninsula. History Antiquity Pozzuoli began as the Greek colony of ''Dicaearchia ...

Sessa Aurunca Sessa Aurunca is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, Campania, southern Italy. It is located on the south west slope of the extinct volcano of Roccamonfina, by rail west north west of Caserta and east of Formia. It is situated on ...

* Sorrento-Castellammare di Stabia * Teano-Calvi

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Catholic Archdiocese Of Naples Apostolic sees

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Naples The Archdiocese of Naples (; ); ) is a Latin archdiocese of the Catholic Church in southern Italy, the see being in Naples. A Christian community was founded there in the 1st century AD and the diocese of Naples was raised to the level of an ...

1st-century establishments in Italy