# Roman Catholic Diocese of Banská Bystrica

The Diocese of Banská Bystrica (Slovak: Banskobystrická diecéza, Latin: Dioecesis Neosoliensis) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in central Slovakia. Its seat is in Banská Bystrica. On Tuesday 20 November 2012, according to biographical information in a press release from the Holy See Press Office's Vatican Information Service (VIS), Pope Benedict XVI appointed Auxiliary Bishop Marián Chovanec of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nitra (based in Nitra, Slovakia), Titular Bishop of Massita, as Bishop-elect of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Banská Bystrica. Bishop Chovanec was born on 16 September 1957 in Trenčin, Slovakia, a part of the Diocese of Nitra. He was expelled from the Seminary in Bratislava, Slovakia, because he had refused to cooperate with the Government-backed Association "Pacem in Terris" (Peace on Earth). He then worked as a laborer. After seven years, he was able to conclude his theological studies and be ordained a priest in 1989; he became an Auxiliary Bishop of Nitra in 1999 and Vicar General in 2003 and is active in the Slovak Bishops' Conference.

## History

The diocese was established on 13 March 1776 as a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Esztergom. On 30 December 1977, it was taken from the former and became part of the newly created Slovak ecclesiastical province with metropolitan being the Diocese of Trnava, which was renamed on 31 March 1995 to the Archdiocese of Bratislava-Trnava. It covers western and central parts of the Banská Bystrica Region, eastern parts of the Trenčín Region and southern central parts of the Žilina Region. It covered an area of 5,424 km$^2$ with 590,494 people of which 62% were of Catholic faith (2006).
On 14 February 2008, as a part of the changes in Slovak dioceses, the diocese lost area around Martin to the newly created Diocese of Žilina and territory around Brezno to Diocese of Rožňava. On the other hand, it gained former eastern areas of the Archdiocese of Bratislava-Trnava (from Banská Štiavnica to Šahy and Veľký Krtíš) (see e.g. this map (in Slovak), and some other border changes occurred as well.
Jozef Feranec held the title from 1973 until 1990.

## Bishops

| Bishop or administrator | Appointment date | End date | Notes |
| Marián Chovanec (born 16 September 1957) | 20 November 2012 | | Appointed by Pope Benedict XVI. |
| Marián Bublinec | 28 July 2011 | 20 November 2012 | Apostolic administrator, following the death of Bishop Rudolf Baláž. |
| Rudolf Baláž (20 November 1940 – 27 July 2011) | 14 February 1990 | 27 July 2011 | First and only bishop born within the diocese. |
| Jozef Feranec (14 March 1910 – 3 May 2003) | 19 February 1973 | 14 February 1990 | Retired in 1990. |
| Andrej Škrábik (13 May 1882 – 8 January 1950) | 21 August 1943 | 8 January 1950 | Appointed coadjutor bishop on 14 June 1941. Dr. Škrábik was a university professor of theology, a judge of the ecclesiastical court, and an author of polemical work in defense of the Catholic Church and religion. During the Second World War, he used the seminary and the episcopal residence to hide many political exponents. Together with Dr. John Balk is credited with the rescue of ten people. |
| Marián Blaha (10 July 1869 – 21 August 1943) | 20 December 1920 | 21 August 1943 | Appointed bishop by Pope Benedict XV. |
| Wolfgang Radnai (25 March 1848 – 14 October 1935) | 11 July 1904 | 16 December 1920 | Resigned in 1920. |
| Karol Rimely (4 February 1925 – 13 January 1904 | 25 May 1893 | 13 January 1904 | |
| Imre Bende (28 August 1824 – 18 March 1911) | 8 November 1886 | 18 March 1911 | |
| Arnold Ipolyi-Stummer (22 October 1823 – 2 December 1886 | 23 September 1871 | 1886 | |
| Sigismund Suppan (18 January 1814 – 17 July 1881) | 30 March 1870 | 7 October 1870 | Resigned. |
| Štefan Moyses (24 October 1797 – 5 July 1869) | 5 September 1850 | 5 July 1869 | |
| Józef Rudňanský (28 October 1788 – 24 November 1859) | 22 August 1844 | 14 March 1850 | Resigned. |
| Jozef Belanský (20 June 1769 – 3 January 1843) | 10 October 1823 | 3 January 1843 | Emperor Francis II appointed him bishop on 4 March 1823, and the Pope confirmed it in November 1823. |
| Anton Makai (24 February 1756 – 8 January 1825) | 7 August 1818 | 1823 | Selected bishop of Veszprém on 10 October 1823. |
| Gabriel Zerdahelyi (16 October 1742 – 5 October 1813 | 22 December 1800 | 5 October 1813 | |
| František Berchtold (25 June 1730 – 14 August 1793 | 15 January 1776 | 14 August 1793 | |

## Churches

* Church of Saint Matthew of Zolná