Roman Catholicism in Greece

The Roman Catholic Church in Greece is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome.

Indigenous Catholic Greeks number about 50,000cite web |url=http://www.greekhelsinki.gr/bhr/english/organizations/ghm_mrgg_religious_freedom_2002.rtf |title=Religious Freedom in Greece (September2002) |accessdate=2007-09-15 |format=RTF |work=Greek Helsinki Monitor Minority Rights Group - Greece] and are a religious and not an ethnic minority. During recent years however, the number of foreign Catholics, permanent residents of Greece, has continuously increased making the total number of Catholics in Greece exceed 200,000.

In addition to the Catholics of the Latin Rite who represent the majority of the faithful, there are about 5,000 of the Greek Rite, and a few hundred Armenian Catholics.

The majority of Catholics are resident in Athens, a city of about four million people, however Catholics can be found all over Greece. Most indigenous Catholics live in the Cyclades, where Syros and Tinos have some entirely Catholic villages and parishes. There are also Catholics in Corfu, Patras, Thessaloniki, Giannitsa, Kavala, Volos, and more distant islands like Rhodes, Kos, Crete, Naxos, Santorini, Samos, Chios, Kephalonia, Zakynthos etc.

Bishops' Conference

The Bishops' Conference of Greece ("Conferentia Episcopalis Graeciae") has six members:
*The Archbishop of Corfu and Vicar Apostolic of Thessaloniki
*The Archbishop of Naxos and Tinos and Vicar Apostolic of Chios
*The Archbishop of Athens and Vicar Apostolic of Rhodes
*The Bishop of Syros and Santorini and Vicar Apostolic of Crete
*The Exarch of the Greek Catholics (based in Athens)
*The Ordinary of the Armenian Catholics (based in Athens)

Papal representatives to Greece

Organization

*Archdiocese of Athens
*Archdiocese of Rhodos
*Archdiocese of Corfù, Zante e Cefalonia
*Archdiocese of Naxos, Andros, Tinos e Mykonos
**Diocese of Chios
**Diocese of Crete
**Diocese of Santorini
**Diocese of Syros e Milos

ee also

*Religion in Greece

References

External links

* [http://www.catholic-church-corfu.org/ Homepage of the Catholic Church in Corfu]
* [http://www.catholicchurchrhodes.com/ Homepage of the Catholic Church in Rhodes]
* [http://www.dkgathen.net/ Homepage of the German-speaking Catholic community in Greece]
* [http://www.caritas.gr/ Homepage of Caritas Hellas]
* [http://www.elcathex.com/ Homepage of the Greek Catholic Exarchate]
* [http://www.catholic.gr/ Homepage of the Catholic Church in Tinos]
* [http://www.interkriti.net/ccc/ Homepage of the Catholic Church in Crete]