Apostolic vicariate

An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries which do not have a diocese. It is therefore essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more. The ultimate hope is that the region will generate sufficient numbers of Catholics and become stable enough for the Church as to warrant erection as a diocese.
An apostolic vicariate is led by a vicar apostolic who is usually a titular bishop. While such a territory can be classed as particular church, according to canon 371.1 of the Latin Code of Canon Law a vicar apostolic's jurisdiction is an exercise of the jurisdiction of the Pope — that is to say, the territory comes directly under the pope as "universal bishop," and the pope exercises this authority through a "vicar" or delegate. This is unlike the jurisdiction of a diocesan bishop, whose jurisdiction derives directly from his office.
Like any ecclesiastical jurisdiction, an apostolic vicariate may be administered by the bishop of a neighbouring diocese, or even by a priest appointed transitionally as an apostolic administrator. As in a regular diocese, the vicar apostolic may appoint priests as vicars exercising limited jurisdiction over the apostolic vicariate.
An apostolic vicariate is to be distinguished from an apostolic prefecture, a similar type of territory that is usually under the leadership of a priest, which is not yet organised enough to be termed an apostolic vicariate. There is also the even less developed mission sui iuris, under some type of superior. The usual sequence of development is: mission, apostolic prefecture, apostolic vicariate and finally diocese.
The apostolic vicariate is also to be distinguished from a territorial abbacy (or "abbey nullius") — an area not a diocese but under the direction of the abbot of a monastery.
==Apostolic vicariates==
Inactive apostolic vicariates are in italics.
===Africa===
*Vicariate Apostolic of Alexandria of Egypt
*Vicariate Apostolic of Awasa, Ethiopia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Benghazi, Libya
*Vicariate Apostolic of Bomadi, Nigeria
*Vicariate Apostolic of the Congo
*Vicariate Apostolic of Dahomey
*Vicariate Apostolic of Derna, Libya
*Vicariate Apostolic of French Congo, or Lower Congo
*Vicariate Apostolic of Francistown, Botswana
*Vicariate Apostolic of Harar, Ethiopia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Ingwavuma, South Africa
*Vicariate Apostolic of Isiolo, Ethiopia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Kamerun, Cameroon
*Vicariate Apostolic of Kenia, Kenya
*Vicariate Apostolic of Kimberley in Orange, South Africa
*Vicariate Apostolic of Kontagora, Nigeria
*Vicariate Apostolic of Meki, Ethiopia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Mongo, Chad
*Vicariate Apostolic of Nekemte, Ethiopia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Victoria Nyanza
*Vicariate Apostolic of Rodrigues, Mauritius
*Vicariate Apostolic of Rundu, Namibia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Sahara
*Vicariate Apostolic of Senegambia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Shire
*Vicariate Apostolic of Soddo-Hosanna, Ethiopia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Sudan or Central-Africa
*Vicariate Apostolic of Tripoli, Libya
*Vicariate Apostolic of Unyanyembe
===The Americas===
*Vicariate Apostolic of Aguarico, Ecuador
*Vicariate Apostolic of San José del Amazonas
*Vicariate Apostolic of Athabasca
*Vicariate Apostolic of Aysén, Chile
*Vicariate Apostolic of Beni
*Vicariate Apostolic of Bluefields, Nicaragua
*Vicariate Apostolic of Camiri, Bolivia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Caroní, Venezuela
*Vicariate Apostolic of Chaco Paraguayo, Paraguay
*Vicariate Apostolic of Darién, Panama
*Vicariate Apostolic of El Beni, Bolivia
*Vicariate Apostolic of El Petén, Guatemala
*Vicariate Apostolic of Esmeraldas, Ecuador
*Vicariate Apostolic of Galápagos, Ecuador
*Vicariate Apostolic of Goajira
*Vicariate Apostolic of Guapi, Colombia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Iles Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
*Vicariate Apostolic of Inírida, Colombia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Iquitos, Peru
*Vicariate Apostolic of Izabal, Guatemala
*Vicariate Apostolic of Jaén in Peru/San Francisco Javier
*Vicariate Apostolic of Keewatin
*Vicariate Apostolic of Leticia, Colombia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Lower California
*Vicariate Apostolic of Machiques, Venezuela
*Vicariate Apostolic of Marysville
*Vicariate Apostolic of Mackenzie
*Vicariate Apostolic of Méndez, Ecuador
*Vicariate Apostolic of Mitú, Colombia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Montevideo, Uruguay
*Vicariate Apostolic of Napo, Ecuador
*Vicariate Apostolic of Nuflo de Chávez, Bolivia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Pando, Bolivia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Pilcomayo, Paraguay
*Vicariate Apostolic of Pucallpa, Peru
*Vicariate Apostolic of Puerto Ayacucho, Venezuela
*Vicariate Apostolic of Puerto Carreño, Colombia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Puerto Gaitán, Colombia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Puerto Maldonado, Peru
*Vicariate Apostolic of Puyo, Ecuador
*Vicariate Apostolic of Reyes, Bolivia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Requena, Peru
*Vicariate Apostolic of San Andrés y Providencia, Colombia
*Vicariate Apostolic of San José de Amazonas, Peru
*Vicariate Apostolic of San Miguel de Sucumbíos, Ecuador
*Vicariate Apostolic of San Ramon, Peru
*Vicariate Apostolic of San Vicente–Puerto Leguízamo, Colombia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Sucumbíos
*Vicariate Apostolic of Tierradentro, Colombia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Trinidad, Colombia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Tucupita, Venezuela
*Vicariate Apostolic of Yurimaguas, Peru
*Vicariate Apostolic of Zamora, Ecuador
===Asia===
*Vicariate Apostolic of Amoy
*Vicariate Apostolic of Anatolia, Turkey
*Vicariate Apostolic of Aleppe, Syria
*Vicariate Apostolic of Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates & Yemen
*Vicariate Apostolic of Batavia, Indonesia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Beirut, Lebanon
*Vicariate Apostolic of Bontoc-Lagawe, Philippines
*Vicariate Apostolic of Brunei, Brunei
*Vicariate Apostolic of Calapan, Philippines
*Vicariate Apostolic of Changanacherry, India
*Vicariate Apostolic of Ernakulam
*Vicariate Apostolic of Jolo, Philippines
*Vicariate Apostolic of Kiang-nan, China
*Vicariate Apostolic of Kottayam
*Vicariate Apostolic of Kuwait, Kuwait
*Vicariate Apostolic of Luang Prabang, Laos
*Vicariate Apostolic of Madras, India
*Vicariate Apostolic of Nepal, Nepal
*Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Kan-Su, China
*Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Shan-Si, China
*Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Shan-Tung, China
*Vicariate Apostolic of Paksé, Laos
*Vicariate-Apostolic of Patna, India
*Vicariate Apostolic of Phnom-Penh, Cambodia
*Vicariate Apostolic of Puerto Princesa, Philippines
*Vicariate Apostolic of San Jose in Mindoro, Philippines
*Vicariate Apostolic of Savannakhet, Laos
*Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Shan-Si, China
*Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Shan-Tung, China
*Vicariate Apostolic of Southern Shen-Si, China
*Vicariate Apostolic of Tabuk, Philippines
*Vicariate Apostolic of Taytay, Philippines
*Vicariate Apostolic of Trichur, India
*Vicariate Apostolic of Vientiane, Laos
===Europe===
*Vicariate Apostolic of Breda
*Vicariate Apostolic of Gibraltar
*Vicariate Apostolic of Istanbul, Turkey
*Vicariate Apostolic of Northern Germany
*Vicariate Apostolic of Scotland
*Vicariate Apostolic of Thessaloniki/Θεσσαλονίκης, Greece
===Oceania===
*Vicariate Apostolic of Central Oceania
*Vicariate Apostolic of Western Oceania
*Vicariate Apostolic of Fiji
*Vicariate Apostolic of Marquesas Islands
*Vicariate Apostolic of New Pomerania
*Vicariate Apostolic of Sandwich Isands
*Vicariate Apostolic of Tahiti
==See also==
*List of Roman Catholic dioceses (alphabetical)
*List of Roman Catholic dioceses (structured view)
*List of Roman Catholic archdioceses
*List of Roman Catholic military dioceses
*List of Roman Catholic apostolic administrations
*List of Eastern Catholic exarchates
*List of Roman Catholic apostolic prefectures
*List of Roman Catholic territorial prelatures
*List of Roman Catholic missions sui juris
==External links==
* List of Current Apostolic Vicariates by Giga-Catholic Information
Category:Episcopacy in Roman Catholicism
Category:Roman Catholic missionary work
Category:Catholic theology and doctrine
 
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