Military ordinariate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A military ordinariate is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction responsible for the pastoral care of Christians serving in the armed forces of a nation.
Most military ordinariates are exempt diocesan equivalents of the Roman Catholic Church, both Latin and Eastern Rites, directly subject to the Pope. Each is headed by a prelate, usually a titular bishop or a diocesan bishop of the nation concerned who delegates the daily functions to a lower cleric.
In many cases, a military ordinariate has a rank of an apostolic vicariate. In nations with wider military reach, the military ordinariate has the rank of a diocese, but unlike a regular diocese it does not have authority over the faithful in a territorial jurisdiction. Only ordinariates serving the armed forces of Brazil, Italy, and the United States have been granted the status of an archdiocese, led by an archbishop overseeing a corps of several bishops serving around the world.
Some nations have military ordinariates of the Anglican Communion, Lutheranism and Eastern Orthodoxy.
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[edit] List of Catholic military ordinariates (April 2006)
[edit] European ordinariates
- Austria: Latin rite Katholische Militärseelsorge 'Catholic Military Pastoral' since 1959; exempt
- Belgium: Latin Bisdom bij de Krijgsmacht 'bishopric with the armed forces' (since 1957; vested in the Archbishop of Mechelen and Primate of Belgium)
- Croatia: Latin Vojni ordinarijat u Republici Hrvatskoj (since 1997; exempt)
- France: Latin Diocèse aux Armées Françaises 'Diocese of the French Armies' (since 1952)
- Germany: Latin Katholisches Militärbischofsamt 'Catholic Military Bishopric' (since 1933)
- Hungary : Latin Tábori Püspökség (exemp bishop; since 1994)
- Italy: Latin Archbishop Military Ordinariate of Italy (since 1925), no auxiliary bishop
- Lithuania : Latin (since 2000)
- Netherlands : Latin Apostolic administrator, exempt (since 1957)
- Poland : Latin Ordynariat Polowy Wojska Polskiego (since 1991)
- Portugal : Latin Ordinariato Castrense de Portugal 'Army bishopric' (since 1966; exempt, formerly had an auxiliary bishop)
- Slovakia : Latin Vojenský ordinariát (since 2003; exempt)
- Spain: Latin Arzobispado Castrense de España (since 1950; no auxiliary bishop)
- United Kingdom: Latin Bishopric of the Forces (since 1953, cathedral based in Aldershot, Hants)
[edit] former military ordinariate
(abolished?never) Romania: Military Ordinariate of Romania
[edit] Other ordinariates
- Argentina: Military Ordinariate of Argentina 'Army bishorpic' (since 1957; vicariate till 1986)
- Australia: Australian Catholic Defence Diocese (since 1969)
- Bolivia: Obispado Castrense de Bolivia 'Army bishorpic' (since 1961)
- Brazil: Ordinariado Militar do Brasil (since 1950)
- Canada: Military Ordinariate of Canada (since 1951)
- Chile: Obispado Castrense de Chile 'Army bishorpic' (since 1910)
- Colombia: Obispado Castrense de Colombia 'Army bishorpic' (since 1949)
- Dominican Republic : since 1958; exempt
- Ecuador: Obispado Castrense del Ecuador (since 1983)
- El Salvador: Obispado Castrense en El Salvador Apostolic Administration; exempt
- Indonesia : Military Ordinariate of Indonesia (since 1949)
- Kenya: Military Ordinariate of Kenya (since 1964)
- New Zealand (since 1976; exempt) vested in the Metropolitan of Wellington
- Paraguay: Obispado Castrense del Paraguay (since 1961)
- Peru: Obispado Castrense del Perú (since 1943)
- Philippines: Military Ordinariate of the Philippines (since 1950)
- South Africa: Military Ordinariate of South Africa (since 1951; exempt) vested in the Archishop of Pratoria
- South Korea: Military Ordinariate of Korea (exempt bishop; since 1983)
- Uganda: Military Ordinariate of Uganda (since 1964) vested in a Metropolitan
- United States: Archdiocese for the Military Services with three Auxiliary Bishops (Vicarate in 1917; Archbishop since 1985)
- Venezuela: Ordinariato Militar de Venezuela 'Military Ordinariate of Venezuela' (exempt; since 1995)
[edit] Sources and references
- Military Ordinariates in the world by Giga-Catholic Information
- Catholic Hierarchy.org
