Istanbul (Vicariate Apostolic) [Catholic-Hierarchy]

Bishop(s)

Massimiliano Palinuro, Vicar Apostolic
Louis Pelâtre, A.A., Vicar Apostolic Emeritus

General Information

Type of Jurisdiction: Vicariate Apostolic
Name Changed: 30 November 1990
Vicariate
Depends on: Dicastery for the Eastern Churches
Rite: Latin (or Roman)
Country: Turkey
Mailing Address: Papa Roncalli Sokak 65A, 34373 Inonu Mah., Sisli, Istanbul, Turkiye
Telephone: (0212)248.07.75
Fax: 241.15.43

Past and Present Ordinaries

Gaspar Gasparini, O.F.M. Conv. † (31 May 1677 Appointed - 22 Aug 1705 Died)
Antonio Balsarini † (26 Aug 1730 Appointed - 2 Jan 1731 Died)
Francesco Girolamo Bona † (18 Jun 1731 Appointed - 16 Feb 1750 Died)
Blaise Paoli † (18 Mar 1750 Appointed - )
Giuseppe Roverani (Roverano) † (10 Mar 1767 Appointed - 2 Jul 1772 Died)
Giovanni Battista Bavestrelli † (31 Aug 1772 Appointed - 20 Apr 1777 Died)
Francesco Antonio Fracchia † (26 Sep 1778 Appointed - 21 Oct 1795 Died)
Julio Maria Pecori (d’Ameno), O.F.M. Ref. † (21 Oct 1795 Succeeded - 28 Feb 1796 Died)
Nicolao Lorenzo Timoni † (3 Jun 1796 Appointed - Did Not Take Effect)
Giovanni Battista Fonton, O.F.M. Conv. † (16 Mar 1799 Appointed - 26 Aug 1816 Died)
Binkentios Coressi † (26 Aug 1816 Succeeded - 7 Mar 1835 Died)
Julien-Marie-François-Xavier Hillereau † (7 Mar 1835 Succeeded - 1 Mar 1855 Died)
Leopoldo Angelo Santanchè, O.F.M. Ref. † (13 Nov 1874 Appointed - 3 Apr 1876 Appointed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Fabriano e Matelica)
Vincenzo Vannutelli † (23 Jan 1880 Appointed - 22 Dec 1882 Appointed, Apostolic Internuncio to Brazil)
Luigi Rotelli † (26 Jan 1883 Appointed - 12 May 1887 Appointed, Apostolic Nuncio to France)
Vincenzo Sardi di Rivisondoli † (10 Apr 1908 Appointed - 10 Jun 1914 Resigned)
Gauthier Pierre Georges Antoine Dubois, O.F.M. Cap. † (15 Nov 1974 Appointed - 29 May 1989 Died)
Antuvan Marovitch † (29 May 1989 Succeeded - 15 Dec 1991 Died)
Louis Pelâtre, A.A. (9 Jul 1992 Appointed - 16 Apr 2016 Retired)
Rubén Tierrablanca Gonzalez, O.F.M. † (16 Apr 2016 Appointed - 22 Dec 2020 Died)
Massimiliano Palinuro (14 Sep 2021 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Vicariate Apostolic of Constantinople
15 April 1742	Erected		Vicariate Apostolic of Constantinople (erected)
28 April 1760	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Constantinople	Vicariate Apostolic of Alep (erected)
16 March 1926	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Constantinople (Monastir, Yogoslavia)	Diocese of Skopje
18 March 1926	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Constantinople (Macedonia and Thrace, Greece)	Vicariate Apostolic of Thessaloniki (erected)
20 June 1931	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Constantinople	Mission "Sui Iuris" of Trabzon (erected)
5 October 1939	Territory Added	Vicariate Apostolic of Alep [Beroea, Halab] (Hatay (Sangiaccato di Alessandretta))	Vicariate Apostolic of Constantinople
9 December 1939	Territory Added	Vicariate Apostolic of Alep [Beroea, Halab] (Cilicia (Adana, Mersina, and Tarsus))	Vicariate Apostolic of Constantinople
30 November 1990	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Constantinople (Eastern parts) Mission "Sui Iuris" of Trabzon	Vicariate Apostolic of Asia Minor Vicariate Apostolic of Anatolia
Vicariate Apostolic of Istanbul
30 November 1990	Name Changed	Vicariate Apostolic of Constantinople	Vicariate Apostolic of Istanbul

Year Catholics Total Population Percent Catholic Diocesan Priests Religious Priests Total Priests Catholics Per Priest Permanent Deacons Male Religious Female Religious Parishes Source

Vicariate Apostolic of Constantinople

1950 7,650 4 68 72 106 131 311 22 ap1951

1970 10,000 5 5 2,000 ap1971

1980 5,000 8 43 51 98 1 62 123 22 ap1981

Vicariate Apostolic of Istanbul

1990 6,000 6 38 44 136 50 100 17 ap1991

1999 15,000 3 25 28 535 32 91 13 ap2000

2000 15,000 3 30 33 454 37 90 13 ap2001

2001 15,000 3 27 30 500 38 91 13 ap2002

2002 15,000 3 32 35 428 43 91 13 ap2003

2003 15,000 2 30 32 468 39 90 13 ap2004

2004 15,000 2 30 32 468 37 90 13 ap2005

2010 15,500 2 33 35 442 42 43 13 ap2011

2014 15,650 37 37 422 41 40 13 ap2015

2017 15,650 2 28 30 521 34 36 12 ap2018

2020 17,000 3 33 36 472 1 37 32 12 ap2021

2022 17,000 3 32 35 485 1 36 32 12 ap2023

Year	Catholics	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Vicariate Apostolic of Constantinople
1950	7,650	4	68	72	106		131	311	22	ap1951
1970	10,000	5		5	2,000					ap1971
1980	5,000	8	43	51	98	1	62	123	22	ap1981
Vicariate Apostolic of Istanbul
1990	6,000	6	38	44	136		50	100	17	ap1991
1999	15,000	3	25	28	535		32	91	13	ap2000
2000	15,000	3	30	33	454		37	90	13	ap2001
2001	15,000	3	27	30	500		38	91	13	ap2002
2002	15,000	3	32	35	428		43	91	13	ap2003
2003	15,000	2	30	32	468		39	90	13	ap2004
2004	15,000	2	30	32	468		37	90	13	ap2005
2010	15,500	2	33	35	442		42	43	13	ap2011
2014	15,650		37	37	422		41	40	13	ap2015
2017	15,650	2	28	30	521		34	36	12	ap2018
2020	17,000	3	33	36	472	1	37	32	12	ap2021
2022	17,000	3	32	35	485	1	36	32	12	ap2023

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

Antonio Balsarini † (Vicar Apostolic: 26 Aug 1730 to 2 Jan 1731)
Giovanni Battista Bavestrelli † (Vicar Apostolic: 31 Aug 1772 to 20 Apr 1777)
Francesco Girolamo Bona † (Vicar Apostolic: 18 Jun 1731 to 16 Feb 1750)
Andrea Cassulo † (Apostolic Administrator: 3 Jun 1947 to 9 Jan 1952)
Luca de Cigalla † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 27 Jul 1832 - Did Not Take Effect)
Binkentios Coressi † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 12 Oct 1814; Vicar Apostolic: 26 Aug 1816 to 7 Mar 1835)
Gauthier Pierre Georges Antoine Dubois, O.F.M. Cap. † (Vicar Apostolic: 15 Nov 1974 to 29 May 1989)
Giovanni Battista Fonton, O.F.M. Conv. † (Vicar Apostolic: 16 Mar 1799 to 26 Aug 1816)
Francesco Antonio Fracchia † (Vicar Apostolic: 26 Sep 1778 to 21 Oct 1795)
Gaspar Gasparini, O.F.M. Conv. † (Vicar Apostolic: 31 May 1677 to 22 Aug 1705)
Julien-Marie-François-Xavier Hillereau † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 14 Jun 1833; Vicar Apostolic: 7 Mar 1835 to 1 Mar 1855)
Antuvan Marovitch † (Deacon: 17 Dec 1955; Priest: 29 Jun 1956; Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 30 Oct 1986; Vicar Apostolic: 29 May 1989 to 15 Dec 1991)
Carlo Nocella †
Blaise Paoli † (Vicar Apostolic: 18 Mar 1750)
Julio Maria Pecori (d’Ameno), O.F.M. Ref. † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 23 Sep 1788; Vicar Apostolic: 21 Oct 1795 to 28 Feb 1796)
Luigi Rotelli † (Vicar Apostolic: 26 Jan 1883 to 12 May 1887)
Giuseppe Roverani (Roverano) † (Vicar Apostolic: 10 Mar 1767 to 2 Jul 1772)
Leopoldo Angelo Santanchè, O.F.M. Ref. † (Vicar Apostolic: 13 Nov 1874 to 3 Apr 1876)
Vincenzo Sardi di Rivisondoli † (Vicar Apostolic: 10 Apr 1908 to 10 Jun 1914)
Charles Joseph Testa † (Auxiliary Bishop: 20 Mar 1885 to 24 Sep 1887)
Giacomo Testa † (Apostolic Administrator: 31 Aug 1953 to 1959)
Rubén Tierrablanca Gonzalez, O.F.M. † (Vicar Apostolic: 16 Apr 2016 to 22 Dec 2020)
Nicolao Lorenzo Timoni † (Vicar Apostolic: 3 Jun 1796 - Did Not Take Effect to 6 May 1799)
Vincenzo Vannutelli † (Vicar Apostolic: 23 Jan 1880 to 22 Dec 1882)

Source(s)

Vicariate Apostolic of Constantinople
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 32, Page 115, and Page 116
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 32, Page 116, and Page 117

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Vicariate Apostolic of Istanbul

Vicariatus Apostolicus Istanbulensis

Bishop(s)

General Information

Historical Details

Past and Present Ordinaries

Historical Summary

Statistics

Affiliated Bishops, Living

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

Source(s)