Diocese of Skopje, North Macedonia

Continent: East Europe

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Skopje / Скопје (македонски јазик) / Scopia / Scopien(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Vrhbosna

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Sacred Heart of Jesus

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

400: Established as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dardania
500: Suppressed
1200: Restored as Diocese of Dardania
1656: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Skopje
1720?: Gained territory from the suppressed Diocese of Prizren
1924.10.29: Demoted as Diocese of Skopje (without ecclesiastical province)
1926.03.16: Gained territory from Apostolic Vicariate of Constantinopole
1969.10.02: Renamed as Diocese of Skopje–Prizren / Scopia–Prisriana / Scopien(sis)–Prisrianen(sis) (Latin) (lost territory to Archdiocese of Bar and became suffragan of Vrhbosna)
2000.05.24: Renamed as Diocese of Skopje / Скопје (македонски јазик) / Scopia / Scopien(sis) (Latin) (lost territory to establish Apostolic Administration of Prizren)

Papal Visits

Pope Francis (2019.05)

Present Prelates

Bishop (2005.07.20 – ...):

Bishop Kiro Stojanov (65)

Bishop of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Strumica–Skopje of the Macedonians (North Macedonia)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Skopje (Roman Rite)

Bishop Kiro Stojanov (65)
(2005.07.20 – ...)

Bishop of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Strumica–Skopje of the Macedonians (North Macedonia)
Bishop of Skopje (North Macedonia)

Ut unum sint

Born:	1959.04.09 (Radovo, North Macedonia)
Ordained Priest:	1986.04.06
Consecrated Bishop:	1999.05.01

Priest of Skopje–Prizren (North Macedonia) (1986.04.06 – 1999.01.04)

Titular Bishop of Centuriones (1999.01.04 – 2005.07.20)

Auxiliary Bishop of Skopje (North Macedonia) (1999.01.04 – 2005.07.20)

Apostolic Exarch of Macedonia of the Macedonians (North Macedonia) (2005.07.20 – 2018.05.31)

Bishop of Skopje (North Macedonia) (2005.07.20 – ...)

Bishop of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Strumica–Skopje of the Macedonians (North Macedonia) (2018.05.31 – ...)

Bishop Marko Sopi
(Apostolic Administrator 1995.11.02 – 2000.05.24)

Bishop Joakim Herbut
(1969.10.02 – 2005.04.15)

Born:	1928.02.14 (North Macedonia)
Ordained Priest:	1952.07.06
Consecrated Bishop:	1969.12.21
Died:	2005.04.15 († 77)

Bishop of Skopje (North Macedonia) (1969.10.02 – 2005.04.15)

Apostolic Exarch of Macedonia of the Macedonians (North Macedonia) (2001.01.11 – 2005.04.15)

Bishop Smiljan Franjo Cekada (later Archbishop)
(1940.08.18 – 1967.06.12)

Born:	1902.11.29
Ordained Priest:	1925.04.05
Consecrated Bishop:	1939.08.06
Died:	1976.01.18 († 73)

Titular Bishop of Pharbæthus (1939.06.06 – 1940.08.18)

Auxiliary Bishop of Vrhbosna (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (1939.06.06 – 1940.08.18)

Bishop of Skopje (North Macedonia) (1940.08.18 – 1967.06.12)

Titular Archbishop of Thibuzabetum (1967.06.12 – 1970.01.13)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Vrhbosna (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (1967.06.12 – 1970.01.13)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Vrhbosna (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (1970.01.13 – 1976.01.18)

Bishop Giovanni Francesco Gnidovec, C.M.
(1924.10.29 – 1939.02.03)

Born:	1873.09.29
Died:	1939.02.03 († 65)

Bishop of Skopje (North Macedonia) (1924.10.29 – 1939.02.03)

Metropolitan Archbishops of Skopje (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Lazare Miedia
(1909.04.14 – 1921.10.19)

Born:	1869.03.06
Died:	1935.07.08 († 66)

Bishop of Sapë (Albania) (1900.11.10 – 1904.12.24)

Titular Archbishop of Areopolis (1904.12.24 – 1909.04.14)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Shkodrë (Albania) (1904.12.24 – 1909.04.14)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Skopje (North Macedonia) (1909.04.14 – 1921.10.19)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Shkodrë (Albania) (1921.10.19 – 1935.07.08)

Archbishop Pasquale Trosksi
(1893.01.10 – 1908.04.29)

Born:	1850.01.02
Died:	1917.07.29 († 67)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Skopje (North Macedonia) (1893.01.10 – 1908.04.29)

Titular Archbishop of Nacolea (1908.04.29 – 1917.07.29)

Archbishop Andrea Logorezzi
(1888.06.15 – 1891.12.29)

Born:	1830.10.25 (Albania)
Ordained Priest:	1856.06.07
Consecrated Bishop:	1887.05.15
Died:	1891.12.29 († 61)

Titular Bishop of Iuliopolis (1887.01.07 – 1888.06.15)

Auxiliary Bishop of Shkodrë (Albania) (1887.01.07 – 1888.06.15)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Skopje (North Macedonia) (1888.06.15 – 1891.12.29)

Archbishop Fulgenzio Czarev, O.F.M.
(1879.03.28 – 1888.06.01)

Born:	1826.04.15
Died:	1901 († 75)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Skopje (North Macedonia) (1879.03.28 – 1888.06.01)

Archbishop-Bishop of Hvar–Brač–Vis (Croatia) (1888.06.01 – 1901)

Archbishop Dario Bucciarelli, O.F.M.
(1864.06.06 – 1878)

Born:	1827.04.04
Died:	1878 († 51)

Bishop of Pult (Albania) (1860.12.09 – 1864.06.06)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Skopje (North Macedonia) (1864.06.06 – 1878)

Bishop Urban Nikola Bogdanovic, O.F.M.
(Apostolic Administrator 1845.09.30 – 1863.07.02)

Archbishop Matthaeus Crasnich
(1816.03.08 – 1827.10.27)

Born:	1763.01.11
Consecrated Bishop:	1816.09.22
Died:	1827.10.27 († 64)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Skopje (North Macedonia) (1816.03.08 – 1827.10.27)

Archbishop Peter Karagić, O.F.M.
(1702.09.25 – ?)

Apostolic Administrator of Shkodrë (Albania) (1698.08.20 – 1698.09.15)

Bishop of Pult (Albania) (1698.09.15 – 1702.09.25)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Skopje (North Macedonia) (1702.09.25 – ?)

Archbishop Daniel Duranti, O.F.M.
(1690.12.11 – 1702.07.29)

Born:	1633.09
Ordained Priest:	1664.03.08
Died:	1713.08.17 († 79)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Skopje (North Macedonia) (1690.12.11 – 1702.07.29)

Apostolic Administrator of Smirne (Turkiye) (1696.06.07 – 1706?)

Apostolic Administrator of Smirne (Turkiye) (1708.06.23 – 1713.08.17)

Archbishop Pjetër Bogdani (Pietro Bogdano)
(1677.11.08 – 1689.11)

Born:	1630
Died:	1689.11 († 58)

Bishop of Shkodrë (Albania) (1656.03.06 – 1677.11.08)

Apostolic Administrator of Bar (Montenegro) (1659.10.24 – 1671.02.23)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Skopje (North Macedonia) (1677.11.08 – 1689.11)

Archbishop Andrea Bogdan
(1656.03.06 – 1677.09.06)

Died:

1689.11

Metropolitan Archbishop of Acrida (1651.02.27 – 1656.03.06)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Skopje (North Macedonia) (1656.03.06 – 1677.09.06)

Apostolic Administrator of Acrida (1675.12.18 – 1689.11)

Former Prelates

Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Kiro Stojanov (65) (1999.01.04 – 2005.07.20)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Nikë Prela (1969.10.02 – 1995.11.02)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Katedrala Srca Isusovo, Skopje, North Macedonia
Co-Cathedral: Катедрала Пресвето срце Исусово, Bitola, North Macedonia

Southern Albania (↙), Tiranë–Durrës (←), Prizren–Prishtina (↖), Beograd (↑), Sofia–Plovdiv (→), Thessaloniki (↘)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 25,713 km²

Population: 3,590 Catholics (0.2% of 2,311,180 total)

Pastoral Centres: 2 parishes, 7 missions

Personnel: 6 priests (4 diocesan, 2 religious), 15 religious (2 brothers, 13 sisters)

Diocese of

Skopje

North Macedonia , Serbia