TheDiocese of Ghent(Latin:Dioecesis Gandavensis) is aLatin Churchecclesiastical territory ordioceseof theCatholic Church in Belgium.It is asuffraganin theecclesiastical provinceof themetropolitanArchdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels.The patron of the diocese is SaintBavo of Ghent.
Diocese of Ghent Dioecesis Gandavensis Bisdom Gent(Dutch) Diocèse de Gand(French) Bistum Gent(German) | |
|---|---|
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 Coat of arms | |
| Location | |
| Country | Belgium |
| Ecclesiastical province | Mechelen-Brussels |
| Metropolitan | Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels |
| Coordinates | 51°03′10″N3°43′43″E/ 51.052761°N 3.728584°E |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 2,995 km2(1,156 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2021) 1,539,800 1,088,100 (70.7%) |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iurischurch | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 12 May 1559 |
| Cathedral | St. Bavo's CathedralinGhent |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Lode Van Hecke,O.C.S.O. |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Josef De Kesel |
| Bishops emeritus | Arthur Luysterman(1991–2003) Lucas Van Looy,SDB(2004–2019) |
| Map | |
 The Diocese of Ghent, is almost coextensive with the province ofEast Flanders.It also includes themunicipalityofZwijndrecht | |
History
editThe diocese was erected in 1559 by papal bullSuper universasto become independent of the Diocese of Tournai.Ghenthad an important local administration and was the location of the Abbey of Saint Bavo, founded by SaintAmandus.However, this abbey was suppressed and the canons were removed, moving to the collegiate church of Saint John, and it changed its name to Saint Bavo. This collegiate church became the see of the current diocese. The diocese was created from the surrounding dioceses in Belgium.
Territorial structure
editOriginally, the diocese was much larger and contained the city ofHulst.Currently, the diocese is coextensive with the Belgian province ofEast Flanders,in addition to themunicipalityofZwijndrecht,which is in the secularProvince of Antwerp.
Administration
editThe diocese produced some important priests and clergy likeEdward Poppe.The current bishop is AbbotLode Van Heckewho was appointed by pope Francis in 2019. The diocese is a suffragan of theArchdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels.
Saints
editOrdinaries
edit
The Bishop of Ghent is theordinaryof the Diocese of Ghent.
List of the bishops of the Diocese of Ghent, Belgium
| Tenure | Incumbent | Device | Reason for exit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1568–1576 | Cornelius Jansenius(1510–1576)[1][2][3][4] | State | Died[5][6][7] |
| 2 | 1588 | Wilhelmus Damasus van der Linden(1525–1588) | Quæ sursum quærite | Died |
| 3 | 1590–1609 | Pieter Damant(1530–1609) | Deum redama | Died |
| 4 | 1610–1612 | Charles Maes(1559–1612) | Deo duce | Died |
| 5 | 1613–1616 | Franciscus van der Burch(1567–1644) | Unitas libertatis ars | Appointed Archbishop of Cambrai |
| 6 | 1617–1620 | Jacobus Boonen(1573–1655) | Vince in bono | Appointed Archbishop of Mechelen |
| 7 | 1622–1657 | Antoon Triest(1577–1657) | Confidenter | Died |
| 8 | 1660–1665 | Carolus van den Bosch(1597–1665) | Crucierne crucier | Died |
| 9 | 1666–1673 | Eugeen-Albert, count d'Allamont (1609–1673) | Patiens esto | Died |
| 10 | 1677–1679 | Frans van Horenbeke (1630–1679) | Facere et docere | Died |
| 11 | 1679–1680 | Ignace Schetz de Grobbendonk(1625–1680) | In labore quies | Died |
| 12 | 1681–1694 | Albert de Hornes(1640–1694) | Lex tua meditatione mea est | Died |
| 13 | 1695–1730 | Philips Erard van der Noot(1638–1730) | Respice finem | Died |
| 14 | 1730–1741 | Jean-Baptiste de Smet(1674–1741) | Caelestia cude arma | Died |
| 15 | 1743–1770 | Maximilien Antoine van der Noot(1685–1770) | Respice finem | Died |
| 16 | 1772–1778 | Govaart-Geeraard van Eersel (1713–1778) | Ordinate et provide | Died |
| 17 | 1779–1795 | Ferdinand-Marie, prince von Lobkowitz(1726–1795) | Ad haerere Deus bonum | Died |
| 18 | 1802–1807 | Stefaan-Andreas de Paula Fallot de Beaumont (1750–1835) | Appointed Bishop of Piacenza, Italy | |
| 19 | 1807–1821 | Maurits-Jan-Magdalena, prince de Broglie(1766–1821) | Died | |
| 20 | 1829–1838 | Jan Frans Van de Velde(1779–1838) | Auxilium a domino | Died |
| 21 | 1838–1864 | Louis-Joseph Delebecque(1798–1864) | Monstra te esse Matrem | Died |
| 22 | 1865–1888 | Henricus Franciscus Bracq(1804–1888) | In nomine Domini | Died |
| 23 | 1888–1889 | Henri-Charles Lambrecht(1848–1889) | Died | |
| 24 | 1890–1916 | Antoon Stillemans(1832–1916) | Vivat Jezus | Died |
| 25 | 1917–1927 | Emilius Seghers(1855–1927) | Died | |
| 26 | 1927–1947 | Honoré Jozef Coppieters(1874–1947) | Fide et Caritate | Died |
| 27 | 1947–1963 | Karel Justinus Calewaert(1893–1963) | Caritate veritatis | Died |
| 28 | 1963–1991 | Léonce-Albert Van Peteghem(1916–2004) | In Deo salutari | Retired |
| 29 | 1991–2003 | Arthur Luysterman(born 1932) | In terra pax | Retired |
| 30 | 2004–2019 | Lucas Van Looy(born 1941) | In nomine patris | Retired |
| 31 | 2019– | Lode Van Hecke[8](born 1950) | Cum gaudio spiritus sancti |
Other affiliated bishops
editCoadjutor Bishops
edit- Gustavo Leonardo de Battice(1877–1885), did not succeed to see
- Franciscus Renatus Boussen(1832–1834), did not succeed to see; appointed Bishop of Brugge {Bruges}
- Honoré-Joseph Coppieters(1927)
- Henri-Charles-Camille Lambrecht(1886–1888)
- Arthur Luysterman(1990–1991)
Auxiliary Bishops
edit- Leo-Karel De Kesel(1960–1990)
- Nicolas French(1668–1678)
- Oscar Jozef Joliet(1948–1969)
- Eugène van Rechem(1914–1943)
Other priests of this diocese who became bishops
edit- Lodewijk Aerts,appointed Bishop of Brugge {Bruges} in 2016
- Josef De Kesel,appointed auxiliary bishop of Mechelen-Brussel {Malines-Brussels} in 2002; later cardinal
- Gustaaf Joos,appointed a titular archbishop and then cardinal in 2003
- Paul Van den Berghe,appointed bishop of Antwerp in 1980
- François Camille Van Ronslé(priest here 1886–1889), appointed Vicar Apostolic of Belgian Congo in 1896
See also
edit- Major Seminary of Ghent
- St. Joseph Minor Seminary:former Seminary of the diocese.
- Paul van Imschoot
- List of Catholic churches in Belgium
References
edit- ^Spurgeon (1990).The Treasury of David.Hendrickson Publishers.ISBN978-1-56563-945-4.
- ^Spurgeon, Charles Haddon (1886).Psalm 53-78.Funk & Wagnalls.
- ^Pereira, José; Fastiggi, Robert L. (2006).The Mystical Theology of the Catholic Reformation: An Overview of Baroque Spirituality.University Press of America.ISBN978-0-7618-3513-4.
- ^Gerace, Antonio (2019-07-15).Biblical Scholarship in Louvain in the 'Golden' Sixteenth Century.Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.ISBN978-3-647-59378-4.
- ^J, Rev A. J. Maas S.; Press, Aeterna.The Gospel According to Saint Matthew With an Explanatory and Critical Commentary.Aeterna Press.
- ^Americana, Encyclopaedia (1831).Encyclopædia Americana, ed. by F. Lieber assisted by E. Wigglesworth (and T.G. Bradford).
- ^Munsell, Joel (2022-09-05).The Every Day Book of History and Chronology.DigiCat.
- ^"Lode Van Hecke nieuwe bisschop van Gent".De Standaard.27 November 2019.
External links
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