Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Istanbul

The Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Istanbul (or of Constantinople) is the senior one of two missionary pre-diocesan Eastern Catholic jurisdictions which constitute the Greek Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite in Greek language).

It is exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See, not part of any ecclesiastical province (which doesn't exist in the Greek Catholic Church, lacking a Metropolitan).

Its Cathedral episcopal see is the Ayatriada Rum Katoliki Kilise Ayatriada Rum Katoliki Kilise, in Istanbul (formerly Constantinople, a transcontinental metropolis, in modern Turkey).

History

• On 11 June 1911, it was established as Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of European Turkey.

• On 11 June 1932, it lost territory to establish the Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Greece, to which its incumbent was appointed.

• In 1936 it was renamed as Apostolic Exarchate of Istanbul or of Constantinople.

Ordinaries

(all Byzantine Rite)

Apostolic Exarch of European Turkey

• George Calavassy (1920.07.13 – 1932.06.11), Titular Bishop of Theodorium of the Greeks (1920.07.13 – 1933); later Apostolic Exarch of Greece of the Greeks (Greece) (1932.06.11 – 1957.11.07), Titular Bishop of Theodoropolis (1933 – 1957.11.07)

Apostolic Exarch of Istanbul

• Dionisio Leonida Varouhas (1932.06.11 – death 1957.01.28)
• Domenico Caloyera, Dominican Order (O.P.), first Apostolic Administrator 'sede plena' (1955.05.27 – 1957.01.28), next Apostolic Administrator 'sede vacante' (1957.01.28 – 1973); later Metropolitan Archbishop of Izmir (Turkey) (1978.12.07 – 1983.01.22)
• Louis-Armel Pelâtre, Assumptionists (A.A.), Apostolic Administrator (1999 – ...), Titular Bishop of Sasima (1992.07.09 – ...), Apostolic Vicar of Istanbul (Turkey) (1992.07.09 – ...), President of Episcopal Conference of Turkey (1995 – 2001), Patriarchal Administrator of Istanbul of the Greek-Melkites (Turkey) (1996.11.25 – ...)

Sources and External links

• GigaCatholic, with incumbent biography links