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Diocese of Bruges Dioecesis Brugensis Diocèse de Bruges (French) Bistum Brügge (German) Bisdom Brugge (Dutch)
St. Salvator's Cathedral in Bruges
Location
Country	Belgium
Ecclesiastical province	Mechelen-Brussels
Metropolitan	Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels
Statistics
Area	3,145 km2 (1,214 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2015) 1,178,265 968,000 (82.2%)
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	27 May 1834
Cathedral	St. Salvator's Cathedral in Bruges
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Lode Aerts from 4 December 2016
Metropolitan Archbishop	Jozef De Kesel
Emeritus Bishops	Roger Vangheluwe, Bishop Emeritus (1984-2010)
Map
The diocese of Bruges, coextensive with the province of West Flanders

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bruges, (Bisdom Brugge in native Dutch) is a suffragan diocese in ecclesiastical province of the primatial Metropolitan archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels (which covers all the Roman Catholic church in Belgium).

The Renaissance diocese since 1558 was suppressed in 1834 during the Napoleonic and Dutch eras and restored in 1834 a pre-diocesan stage as Apostolic vicariate since 1832.^[1] Its territory coincides with West Flanders.

Its cathedral episcopal see is the Sint-Salvator Cathedral, dedicated to Our Savior, in Bruges (Brugge), West Flanders province, a minor basilica a minor World Heritage Site. Its patron saint however is Saint Donatian, hence the cathedral is also known as Sint-Salvators- en Donaaskathedraal after both saints.

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally serves 965,000 Catholics (82.1% of 1,174,752 total) on 3,145 km² in 362 parishes and 65 missions with 708 priests (499 diocesan, 209 religious), 91 deacons, 1,986 lay religious (290 brothers, 1,696 sisters) and 7 seminarians.

History

An earlier diocese of Bruges was established on 12 May 1558, on territory split off from the Diocese of Tournai, as part of the great Habsburg reform of the church in the then Spanish Low Countries. Its cathedral see, St. Donatian's Cathedral, was destroyed in a fire in 1799 during the aftermath of the French Revolution.

During the Napoleonic Concordate-period reforms, it was suppressed on 1801.07.15 and its territory merged into the Diocese of Gent (Ghent).

On 1832.12.17, shortly after the independence of Belgium, it was restored as (pre-diocesan) Apostolic Administration of West-Vlaanderen ('West Flanders', the name of the Belgian province it coincides with, as most Belgian bishoprics), regaining its teritoy from Ghent. On 1834.05.27, this was promoted to Diocese again and renamed after its see, Brugge, while the incumbent Apostolic Administrator was promoted Suffragan Bishop. On 1967.05.31 it lost a bit of territory to the Ancient Diocese of Tournai, shortly after a reshuffle of province borders involving a few municipalities, notably Moeskroen being transferred to Hainaut (which Tournai bishopric covers).

In May 1958 it enjoyed a papal Visit from Pope John Paul II. A pederasty scandal saw its self-confessed, hardly remorseful bishop Roger Joseph Vangheluwe forced into 'early emeritate', traumatizing the entire Belgian church.

Ordinaries

Franciscus-Renatus Boussen, eighteenth bishop of Brugge

The current bishop

Suffragan Bishops (first diocese)

• 1560–1567: Petrus Curtius (Petrus De Corte)


• 1569–1594: Remigius Driutius
  


• 1596–1602: Mathias Lambrecht
  


• 1604–1616: Charles Philippe de Rodoan
  


• 1616–1620: Anthonius Triest (also bishop of Ghent)


• 1623–1629: Denis Stoffels


• 1630–1639: Servaas de Quinckere
  


• 1642–1649: Nicolaas de Haudion


• 1651–1660: Carolus Van den Bosch (also bishop of Ghent)


• 1662–1668: Robert de Haynin


• 1668–1671: Charles Geleyns
  


• 1671–1681: François de Baillencourt


• 1682–1689: Humbertus Guilielmus de Precipiano (also Archbishop of Mechelen)


• 1691–1706: Guilielmus (Willem) Bassery


• 1706–1716: Vacant
  


• 1716–1742: Hendrik Jozef van Susteren


• 1743–1753: Jan-Baptist de Castillon


• 1754–1775: Joannes-Robertus Caimo


• 1777–1794: Felix Brenart


• Suppressed

Apostolic Administrator of West-Vlaanderen

• François-René Boussen (January 21, 1833 – May 27, 1834 see below), Titular Bishop of Ptolemais (December 17, 1832 – June 23, 1834), Coadjutor Bishop of Gent (Belgium) (December 17, 1832 – June 23, 1834)

Suffragan Bishops (present diocese)

• 1834– death 1848: Franciscus-Renatus Boussen (see above)
  


• 1848–1864: Joannes-Baptista Malou
  


• 1864–1894: Johan Joseph Faict
  


• 1894–1895: Petrus De Brabandere


• 1895–1931: Gustavus Josephus Waffelaert


• 1931–1952: Henricus Lamiroy


• 1952–1984: Emiel-Jozef De Smedt
  


• 1984–2010: Roger Joseph Vangheluwe
  


• 2010–2015: Jozef De Kesel, later promoted Metropolitan Archbishop of Mechlin-Brussels


• 2016–present: Lode Aerts
  

External links and sources

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Roman Catholic Diocese of Brugge.

• GCatholic

Notes

Coordinates: 51°12′18″N 3°13′21″E / 51.204977°N 3.222416°E / 51.204977; 3.222416