Apostolic Administration of Southern Albania

The Apostolic Administration of Southern Albania (Albanian: Administratura Apostolike e Shqiperisë së Jugut, Latin: Administratio Apostolica Albaniae Meridionalis, Italian: Albania Meridionale) is an apostolic administration of the Catholic Church in Albania, covering the southern regions of the country. It has jurisdiction over all Catholics on its territory, both of Latin Church and Byzantine Catholics. It is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Tiranë–Durrës. Its cathedra is in the Pro-Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Louis (Albanian: Kisha e Shën Maria dhe Shën Luigji) in the episcopal see of Vlorë.

Apostolic Administration of Southern Albania Administratio Apostolica Albaniae Meridionalis Administratura Apostolike e Shqiperisë së Jugut
Location
Country	Albania
Territory	Southern Albania
Ecclesiastical province	Tiranë–Durrës
Statistics
Area	16,172 km^2 (6,244 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2014) 2,140,000 3,596 (0.2%)
Parishes	11
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Latin Church and Albanian Greek Catholic Church
Rite	Roman Rite and Byzantine Rite
Established	11 November 1939
Cathedral	Pro-Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Louis in Vlorë
Secular priests	8
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Apostolic Administrator	Giovanni Peragine
Metropolitan Archbishop	George Anthony Frendo Archbishop of Tiranë–Durrës
Map
Apostolic Administration of Southern Albania

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. Such claims have been questioned by some leading Eastern Catholic experts.

History

On 11 November 1939, the Holy See issued the papal bull Inter 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 Elbasan, Korçë, Berat, Vlorë and Gjirokastër.

Since 25 January 2005, it is suffragan to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tiranë-Durrës, within the newly created metropolitan province.

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.

Episcopal ordinaries

(all Albanian Catholic)

Apostolic Administrators of Southern Albania

• Leone Giovanni Battista Nigris, Titular Archbishop of Philippi (11 November 1939 – 1945), while Apostolic Delegate to Albania
• Nikollë Vinçenc Prennushi (O.F.M.) (1946 – death 19 March 1949), while Roman Catholic Archbishop of Durrës
• position vacant (1949 – 1992)
• Ivan Dias, Titular Archbishop of Rusibisir (1992 – 1996.11.08), while Apostolic Nuncio (papal ambassador) to Albania, previously Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Benin (1982.05.08 – 1987.06.20), Ghana and Togo (1982.05.08 – 1987.06.20), Apostolic Nuncio to Korea (1987.06.20 – 1991.01.16); later Metropolitan Archbishop of Bombay (India) (1996.11.08 – 2006.05.20), created Cardinal-priest of Spirito Santo alla Ferratella (2001.02.21 [2001.06.03] – ...), Prefect of the Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (2006.05.20 – 2011.05.10), President of the Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious (2006.05.20 – 2011.05.10), Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Urbaniana University (2006.05.20 – 2011.05.10)
• Hil Kabashi, O.F.M., Titular Bishop of Turres in Byzacena (3 December 1996 - 15 June 2017)
• Giovanni Peragine, B., Titular Bishop of Phoenice (15 June 2017 - present)

See also

• Catholic Church in Albania

Sources

• Galadza, Peter (2007). "Eastern Catholic Christianity". The Blackwell Companion to Eastern Christianity. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. pp. 291–318. ISBN 9780470766392.