Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Shkodër–Pult-Cedar Herald Index

The ër–Archdiocese of Shkodër–Pult (), historically known as Scutari, is one of two Metropolitan archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in Albania.

It cathedral archiepiscopal see is Katedralja e Shen Shtjefnit Protomartir, dedicated to St. Stephen Protomartyr, in Shkoder, which city also has : Former cathedral: Church of St. Nicholas (Kishe Shenkollit), at Xhan, Shkodër National Shrine of the Virgin of Good Counsel: Shenjtërorja e Zojës së Shkodrës

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Shkodër–Pult

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally served 166,700 Catholics (70.0% of 238,000 total) on 4,113 km² in 40 parishes and 3 missions with 55 priests (21 diocesan, 34 religious), 220 lay religious (62 brothers, 158 sisters) and 9 seminarians.

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Shkodër–Pult

Ecclesiastical province

The archdiocese has two suffragan sees: the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lezhë the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sapë.

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Shkodër–Pult

History

The diocese of Scutari (Shkodrë) was established circa 305. The first known bishop was Bassus (387). The bishops of Scutari were at first subject to the Metropolitan Archbishopric of Thessalonica (Thessaloniki, Greece), Primatial see of all Illyricum, but when Byzantine emperor Justinian I transferred the primacy, they became suffragans of the Archdiocese of Justiniana Prima. In the early Middle Ages Scutari was suffragan of the Archdiocese of Dioclea (now Metropolitan of Bar, in Montenegro). From 1063 to 1886 53 bishops of Scutari are known (none to the middle of the twelfth century). In 1571 it gained territory from the suppressed diocese of Suacium (Svač, Šas). The ancient diocese of Ulcinium (Ulcinj, Dulcigno), in the territory of Scutari, was, in 1571, occupied by the Ottoman Turks and ceased to exist. Its bishops were suffragans of the Archbishop of Antivari. In 1650 it gained territory from the suppressed Diocese of Drivasto. Other ancient sees in this territory were the Diocese of Dinnastrum and Diocese of Balazum. On 1867.03.14 it was promoted as Archdiocese of Shkodrë (Scutari) / Scodren(sis) (Latin) when Scutari was aeque principaliter united with the Archdiocese of Antivari, and in this way Pope Pius IX made Scutari an archdiocese. The first archbishop of the united diocese, Mgr. Karl Pooten, native of Teveren near Geilenkirchen, Germany, who had been Apostolic Administrator of Antivari (1834–1855), died at Scutari on 15 January 1886. On 23 October 1886, it was promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Shkodrë (Scutari) / Scodren(sis) (Latin), while the Archdiocese of Scutari was again separated from that of Antivari, and remained an archdiocese with three suffragans : the diocese of Alessio, diocese of Sappa and diocese of Pulati. On 2005.01.25 it was renamed as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Shkodrë–Pult / Shkodër–Pult (English) / Shkodra–Pulati / Scutari–Pult (Curiate Italian) / Scodren(sis)–Pulaten(sis) (Latin), having gained merged-in territory from the suppressed Diocese of Pult It enjoyed a Papal visit from Pope John Paul II in April 1993.