Apostolic Administration of Kazakhstan and Central Asia

The Apostolic Administration of Kazakhstan and Central Asia is an Apostolic Administration (pre-diocesan jurisdiction) and is exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See, that extends its jurisdiction over all the Eastern Catholic faithful of the Byzantine Rite who live in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Apostolic Administration of Kazakhstan and Central Asia
Holy Protection of the Mother of God Cathedral
Location
Territory Kazakhstan
 Kyrgyzstan
 Tajikistan
 Turkmenistan
 Uzbekistan
Ecclesiastical provinceImmediately subject to the Holy See
HeadquartersKaraganda, Kazakhstan
Statistics
Area4,003,451 km2 (1,545,741 sq mi)
Population
- Catholics (including non-members)
10,000
Information
Sui iuris churchEastern Catholic Churches
RiteByzantine
Established1 June 2019
CathedralHoly Protection of the Mother of God Cathedral in Karaganda
Secular priests8
LanguageChurch Slavonic
(de facto Ukrainian)
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
Apostolic AdministratorRev. Vasyl Hovera
Map

Territory of the Apostolic Administration

Pre-History

The presence of Catholic faithful of the Byzantine rite in Central Asia dates back to the 17th century, but was sporadic until the 20th century, when their number increased considerably due to the forced mass deportations carried out in the Stalinist era. From 1939 to 1953, some 150,000 faithful of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church were transferred to Central Asia: most of them were to Kazakhstan. About 150 priests were deported with the faithful, including the blessed martyrs Oleksiy Zarytskyi and Nykyta Budka, and the Servant of God Alexander Chira.

After 1991, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union the activities of the Catholic Church, even of the Byzantine rite, became normal. Greek-Catholic parishes were erected in Karaganda, Pavlodar, Astana, Satbayev, Shiderty and Almaty: in addition to these parishes the Byzantine rite Catholics form a dozen communities, scattered in other places. In 1996 here was appointed by the Holy See an Apostolic Visitor, who was replaced in 2002 by Apostolic Delegate and depended from the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.[1]

St. Joseph Greek Catholic church in Nur-Sultan, capital of Kazakhstan

History

It was established on 1 June 2019 by Pope Francis for all the Byzantine Rite (mainly Ukrainian Greek Catholic) parishes. The circumscription encompasses Kazakhstan and others four Central Asia states.[2] The Holy Protection of the Mother of God church, that is located in Karaganda, in Kazakhstan, become as the Cathedral.

Hierarches

Apostolic Visitor
  • Wasyl Medwit, O.S.B.M. (December 1996 – 11 November 2002), Titular Bishop of Hadriane

Apostolic Delegate
  • Rev. Vasyl Hovera, (11 November 2002 – 1 June 2019)

Apostolic Administrator
  • Rev. Vasyl Hovera (since 1 June 2019), Apostolic Administrator

References
  1. "Как живет Греко-Католическая Церковь в Казахстане?". Website of the Siberian Catholic newspaper (in Russian). Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  2. "Erezione dell'Amministrazione Apostolica per i fedeli cattolici di rito bizantino in Kazakhstan e nell'Asia Centrale con sede a Karaganda e nomina dell'Amministratore Apostolico". Official Website of the Holy See (in Italian). Retrieved 20 November 2019.
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