ALBANIA
Christianism was introduced in what was to become Albania as early as the 1st
century and a regular hierarchy was immediately set up.
In the 11th century the community split : while the southern part joined the
Orthodox Church, the northern part joined the Roman Catholic Church.
The Roman Catholic hierarchy - supported by the very powerfull Mirditė tribe
- survived Osmanli rule and in 1945 it was divided into :
- the Archdioceses of Durrės and Skhodėr
- the Abbey Nullius of Orosh
- the Apostolic Administration of South Albania
(until 1878 the Archdiocese of Antivari / Bar was also considered as an
Albanian See)
Apostolic Delegates in Albania
Like most other Albanian offices or institutes, the Albanian Catholic Church
also came under actual Italian control in the 1930ties, the de facto heads
of the hierarchy being the three successive (Italian) Apostolic Delegates (=
Papal representatives).
1927 - 193. Giovanni Battista Della Pietra,
Titular Archbishop of Chalcedon
in Bythinia II
1936 - 1938 Ildebrando Antoniutti, Titular
Archbishop of Sinnada in Phrygia 1898 - 1974
1938 - 1945 Leone Giovanni Battista Nigris,
Titular Archbishop of Philippes
in ... 1884 - 1964
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DURRĖS
A Roman Catholic see was established at Durrės at the beginning of the 13th
century, after the Latin conquest of Constantinople in 1204.
Archbishops
1847 - 1893 Raffaele d'Ambrosio 1810 - 1893
1893 - 1922 Primo Bianchi 1852 - 1927
1922 - 1928 Francesco Giacinto Melchiori 1... - 1928
1929 - 1939 Petro Gjura 1... - 1939
1940 - 1949 Nikolle Vinēenc Prennushi 1... - 1949
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OROSH
The Abbey Nullius of Saint Alexander of Orosh (Shėn Llezhri i Oroshit) was
founded in 1888, as a separate spiritual center for the powerfull Mirditė.
Abbots
1888 - 1917 Primo Dochi 1846 - 1917
1917 - 1921 ...
1921 - 1928 Giuseppe Gionali
1928 - 1930 ...
1930 - 1946 Frano Gjini 1... - 1946
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SHKODĖR
The Diocese of Skhodėr was erected in the 4th century.
It became an Archdiocese in 1867.
Archbishops
1867 - 1886 The Archbishop of Antivari / Bar
1886 - 1909 Pascuale Guerini 1... - 1911
1910 - 1921 Giacomo Sereggi
1921 - 1935 Lazare Miedia
1936 - 1946 Gaspör Thaēi 1... - 1946
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SOUTH ALBANIA
After the Italian occupation of Albania in 1939 an attempt was made to unite
the Orthodox community in Southern Albania with Rome and a separate Apostolic
Administration was established.
Apostolic Administrator
1939 - 1945 Leone Giovanni Battista Nigris,
Titular Archbishop of Philippes
in ... s.a.
Back to ROMAN CATHOLIC REGIONAL HIERARCHY