Roman Catholic Diocese of Banja Luka
Roman Catholic diocese in Bosnia and Herzegovina / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Diocese of Banja Luka (Latin: Dioecesis Banialucensis; Croatian: Banjolučka biskupija) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in western Bosnia. The diocese is centred in the city of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Diocese of Banja Luka Dioecesis Banialucensis Banjolučka biskupija | |
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Location | |
Country | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Ecclesiastical province | Archdiocese of Vrhbosna |
Deaneries |
|
Statistics | |
Area | 16,457 km2 (6,354 sq mi) |
Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2022) 735,000[1] 24,660[1] (3.36%) |
Parishes | 48[1] |
Information | |
Denomination | Catholic |
Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
Rite | Roman Rite |
Established | 5 July 1881 |
Cathedral | Cathedral of Saint Bonaventure |
Patron saint | Saint Bonaventure |
Secular priests | 34[2] |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Bishop | Željko Majić |
Metropolitan Archbishop | Tomo Vukšić |
Auxiliary Bishops | Marko Semren |
Vicar General | Anto Orlovac |
Bishops emeritus | Franjo Komarica |
Map | |
Website | |
biskupija-banjaluka.org |
Erected on July 5, 1881, the diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna, as the Diocese of Banjaluka. In 1985, the name of the diocese was split to the current diocese of Banja Luka. The current bishop of Banja Luka is Rev. Željko Majić.
The original Cathedral of Saint Bonaventure in the city was built in 1887. However, an earthquake in 1969 levelled the church. Banja Luka's current cathedral was built in 1974.
The city of Banja Luka, and much of the territory that the diocese covers contains an Orthodox Christian majority. The Bosnian War greatly affected the diocese. Virtually all of the churches in the bishopric sustained some damage, and many were destroyed. Many Catholics were expelled from the region or fled, leaving only a fraction remaining. Bishop Komarica has been urging people to return, to mixed results.