- Roman Catholic Diocese of Aachen
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Diocese of Aachen
Dioecesis Aquisgranensis
Aachen CathedralLocation Country Germany Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cologne Coordinates 51°19′55″N 6°33′34″E / 51.331952°N 6.559439°ECoordinates: 51°19′55″N 6°33′34″E / 51.331952°N 6.559439°E Statistics Area 3,937 km2 (1,520 sq mi) Population
- Total
- Catholics(as of 2005)
2,054,000
1,200,375 (57.6%)Parishes 538 Information Denomination Roman Catholic Rite Latin Rite Cathedral Aachen Cathedral Patron saint Mary, Mother of Jesus Secular priests 535 Current leadership Bishop Heinrich Mussinghoff Auxiliary Bishop Johannes Bündgens,
Karl Borsch,
Gerd Dicke (emeritus)
Karl Reger (emeritus)Vicars General Manfred von Holtum Map 
Location of the Diocese of AachenThe Diocese of Aachen is one of 22 dioceses in Germany. It is also one of 7 dioceses that has a population that is in majority Catholic, in this case 57.6 %. The weekly attendance rate at mass in the Diocese of Aachen is 11.5% of the Catholics in the diocese.
Contents
Geography
The diocese is located in the west of Germany, extending from the town Krefeld in the north till mountainous area of the Eifel to the south. Neighboring dioceses are Cologne, Münster, Essen and Trier in Germany, Liège in Belgium and Roermond of the Netherlands.
The diocese is subdivided into 7 regions, which are in turn further subdivided into 538 parishes.
- Region Aachen-Stadt (Aachen city)
- Region Düren
- Region Eifel
- Region Heinsberg
- Region Kempen Viersen
- Region Krefeld
- Region Mönchengladbach
Ordinaries
Main article: Bishop of AachenThe bishop of Aachen is Heinrich Mussinghoff who was ordained as bishop on 11 February 1995. He is assisted by two auxiliary bishops, Johannes Bündgens and Karl Borsch. Furthermore, there are two emeritus auxiliary bishops, Gerd Dicke and Karl Reger.
The vicar general is Manfred von Holtum, who was appointed to the post on October 1 1997.
History
Historically the city of Aachen belonged to the Diocese of Liège, divided by the Archdiocese of Cologne by the Wurm River.
The diocese was first created in 1802, covering the area west of the Rhine formerly belonging to Cologne, as well as parts from the dioceses Liege, Utrecht, Roermond and Mainz. After the first bishop Marc Antoine Berdolet died in 1809, Pope Pius VII didn't approve the successor suggested by Napoleon, Jean Dénis Francois Le Camus. After the end of the French rulership over the area the diocese was abolished by the bull "De salute animarum" of July 16 1821, and included into the archdiocese of Cologne.
On August 13, 1930 by the papal bull "Pastorale officii nostri" the diocese was reerected. Joseph Vogt was appointed as its first bishop.
Major Churches
The cathedral of the diocese is the Aachen Cathedral, which was built in the year 800 by Charlemagne. It also was the first German world heritage site, inscribed in 1980.
Two churches within the diocese have received the basilica minor title by the pope.
- Basilica SS. Potentinus, Felicius und Simplicius, Kall-Steinfeld, October 7 1960
- Münster-Basilica St. Vitus, Mönchengladbach, April 25 1973
See also
External links
Roman Catholic dioceses in Germany Province of Bamberg Province of Berlin Province of Cologne Archdiocese of Cologne · Diocese of Aachen · Diocese of Essen · Diocese of Limburg · Diocese of Münster · Diocese of TrierProvince of Freiburg Province of Hamburg Province of Munich and Freising Province of Paderborn Sui iuris Jurisdictions Categories:- Roman Catholic dioceses in Germany
- Religious organizations established in 1802
- Religious organizations disestablished in 1821
- Religious organizations established in 1930
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