Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Sofia
The Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Sofia (informally also Sofia of the Bulgarians) is the fourth, so far last and sole jurisdiction, covering Bulgaria, of the Bulgarian Catholic Church (Eastern Catholic, using the Byzantine Rite in Bulgarian language).
As Apostolic exarchate (a pre-diocesan type of missionary jurisdiction for Eastern Catholics ?entitled to a titular bishop) it is exempt, i.e. directly dependent on the Holy See (notably the Roman Congregation for the Oriental Churches).
Its cathedral episcopal see is the Катедрала Успение Богородично Катедрала Успение Богородично, in Bulgaria's capital Sofia, which also has a Latin Catholic diocesan see.
History
It was established in 1926 as Apostolic Exarchate of Sofia on Bulgarian territory split off from the suppressed Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Constantinople and both its daughters Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Macedonia and Bulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Tracia (who also covered Greece, Turkey and Macedonia), reuniting the original Balkanic jurisdiction.
Ordinaries
(Bulgarian Rite)
- Apostolic Exarchs of Sofia
- Kyril Stefan Kurteff first time (1926.07.31 – 1942 see below), Titular Bishop of Briula (1926.07.31 – death 1971.03.09)
- Ivan Garufaloff, Resurrectionists (C.R.) (1942.07.06 – 1951.08.07)
- Kyril Stefan Kurteff again (see above 1951.04.27 – death 1971.03.09)
- Metodi Dimitrov Stratiev, Assumptionists (A.A.) (1971.03.09 – 1995.09.05), Titular Bishop of Diocletianoplis in Thracia (1963.04.28 – death 2006.05.12), also President of Episcopal Conference of Bulgaria (1970 – 1995); succeeded as former Coadjutor Apostolic Exarch of Sofia of the Bulgarians (Bulgaria) (1963.04.28 – 1971.03.09)
- Christo Proykov (1995.09.05 – ...), Titular Bishop of Briula (1993.12.18 – ...), also President of Episcopal Conference of Bulgaria (1995 – ...); succeeded as former Coadjutor Apostolic Exarch of Sofia of the Bulgarians (Bulgaria) (1993.12.18 – 1995.09.05)