The Apostolic Administration of Southern Albania constitutes an ecclesiastical territory comprising the Albanian Greek Catholic Church, which itself does not exclusively govern any episcopal jurisdictions.[4] Such claims have been questioned by some leading Eastern Catholic experts.[5]
History
Territory of the Apostolic Administration of Southern Albania
On 11 November 1939, the Holy See issued the papal bullInter regiones, establishing the Apostolic Administration of Southern Albania. Initially, it was created as a regular apostolic administration, for all Catholics in southern regions of Albania, both of Latin and Byzantine rites. Its territory was detached from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Durrës, and initially covered districts of Elbassan, Korca, Berat, Valona and Argyrocastro.[6]
From 1937 to 2024, the Apostolic Administration was served exclusively by priests supplied from the Diocese of Rimini, until the first local priest was ordained in 2024.[8]
^Perry, Ken (ed.), The Blackwell Companion to Eastern Christianity, p291
^Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 32 (1940), p. 139-140.
^Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 97 (2005), p. 131-132.
^"Apostolic Administration of Southern Albania". Retrieved 9 November 2021.
^Galadza 2007, pp. 293.
^Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 32 (1940), p. 139-140.
^Acta Apostolicae Sedis, 97 (2005), p. 131-132.
^Coppen, Luke (30 April 2024). "Ordination milestone for southern Albania's Catholics". The Pillar.
^Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. XXXII. 1940. pp. 139–40. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
Sources
Galadza, Peter (2007). "Eastern Catholic Christianity". The Blackwell Companion to Eastern Christianity. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 291–318. ISBN 9780470766392.