Apostolic vicariate


An apostolic vicariate is a territorial jurisdiction of the Catholic Church under a titular bishop centered in missionary regions and countries where dioceses or parishes have not yet been established. The status of apostolic vicariate is often a promotion for a former apostolic prefecture, while either may have started out as a mission sui iuris. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more. The hope is that the region will generate sufficient numbers of Catholics for the Church to create a diocese one day.
It is exempt under canon law, directly subject to the missionary Dicastery for Evangelization of the Vatican in Rome. Like the stage of apostolic prefecture which often precedes it, the vicariate is not part of an ecclesiastical province. It is intended to mature in developing Catholic members until it can be promoted to a diocese.
The Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church counterpart is an exarchate.

Institution

An apostolic vicariate is led by a vicar apostolic, who is usually a titular bishop. While such a territory can be classed as a particular church, according to canon 371.1 of the Latin Code of Canon Law, a vicar apostolic's jurisdiction is an exercise of the jurisdiction of the pope—the territory comes directly under the pope as "universal bishop", and the pope exercises this authority through a "vicar".
This is unlike the jurisdiction of a diocesan bishop, whose jurisdiction derives directly from his office.
Like any ecclesiastical jurisdiction, an apostolic vicariate may be administered by the bishop of a neighbouring diocese, or by a priest appointed transitionally as an apostolic administrator. As in a regular diocese, the vicar apostolic may appoint priests as vicars exercising limited jurisdiction over the apostolic vicariate. Normally, a titular bishop is appointed to administer the apostolic vicariate. When someone who does not qualify or has not been ordained as bishop is appointed ad interim, he may be styled Pro-vicar.
An apostolic vicariate is to be distinguished from an apostolic prefecture, a similar type of territory whose chief distinction from an apostolic vicariate is that its prefect is not a titular bishop, but a priest. The prefecture is not considered organised enough to be elevated to apostolic vicariate. The less developed instance is the mission sui iuris, which other than the ones mentioned before is not a particular church, although it shares some similarities to one; at its head, an ecclesiastical superior is named. The usual sequence of development is mission, apostolic prefecture, apostolic vicariate, and finally diocese. See also apostolic exarch for an Eastern Catholic counterpart.
The apostolic vicariate is distinguished from a territorial abbacy —an area not a diocese but under the direction of the abbot of a monastery.
Starting in 2019, new vicars apostolic, although they are bishops, are no longer assigned titular sees.

List

Current apostolic vicariates

Africa

The Americas

Asia

Europe

Historical apostolic vicariates

Inactive apostolic vicariates are in italics.
Eastern Catholic apostolic vicariates are in bold.

Africa

Apostolic Vicariate of Bomadi, NigeriaApostolic Vicariate of the CongoApostolic Vicariate of DahomeyApostolic Vicariate of French Congo, or Lower CongoApostolic Vicariate of Francistown, BotswanaApostolic Vicariate of Isiolo, KenyaApostolic Vicariate of Kamerun, CameroonApostolic Vicariate of Kenia, KenyaApostolic Vicariate of Kimberley in Orange, South AfricaApostolic Vicariate of Kontagora, NigeriaApostolic Vicariate of MauritiusApostolic Vicariate of Northern Victoria NyanzaApostolic Vicariate of SaharaApostolic Vicariate of SenegambiaApostolic Vicariate of ShireApostolic Vicariate of Sudan or Central-Africa

The Americas

Apostolic Vicariate of AlaskaApostolic Vicariate of San José de AmazonasApostolic Vicariate of AthabascaApostolic Vicariate of BeniApostolic Vicariate of Bluefields, NicaraguaApostolic Vicariate of CasanareApostolic Vicariate of Dakota TerritoryApostolic Vicariate of Goajira

Asia

Apostolic Vicariate of Amoy, ChinaApostolic Vicariate of Batavia, IndonesiaApostolic Vicariate of Changanacherry, IndiaApostolic Vicariate of Ernakulam, IndiaApostolic Vicariate of Kiang-nan, ChinaApostolic Vicariate of KoreaApostolic Vicariate of Kottayam, IndiaApostolic Vicariate of Lhasa, Sikkim and TibetApostolic Vicariate of Madras, IndiaApostolic Vicariate of Northern Kan-Su, ChinaApostolic Vicariate of Kienchang, ChinaApostolic Vicariate of Northern Shan-Si, ChinaApostolic Vicariate of Northern Shantung, ChinaApostolic Vicariate of Patna, IndiaApostolic Vicariate of Southern Shan-Si, ChinaApostolic Vicariate of Southern Shan-Tung, ChinaApostolic Vicariate of Southern Shen-Si, ChinaApostolic Vicariate of Shunking, ChinaApostolic Vicariate of Szechwan, ChinaApostolic Vicariate of Southern Szechwan, ChinaApostolic Vicariate of Southeastern Szechwan, ChinaApostolic Vicariate of Tibet-Hindustan, India and TibetApostolic Vicariate of Trichur, IndiaApostolic Vicariate of Wanhsien, ChinaApostolic Vicariate of Yachow, China

Europe

Apostolic Vicariate of Bosnia, former Ottoman EmpireBulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Constantinople, former Ottoman EmpireApostolic Vicariate of GibraltarApostolic Vicariate of Herzegovina, former Ottoman EmpireBulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Macedonia, former Ottoman EmpireApostolic Vicariate of Marča, CroatiaApostolic Vicariate of Northern Germany Apostolic Vicariate of EnglandApostolic Vicariate of ScotlandBulgarian Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Thrace, former Ottoman Empire

Oceania

Apostolic Vicariate of AlexishafenApostolic Vicariate of Central OceaniaApostolic Vicariate of FijiApostolic Vicariate of the Gilbert IslandsApostolic Vicariate of Marquesas IslandsApostolic Vicariate of New PomeraniaApostolic Vicariate of Oriental OceaniaApostolic Vicariate of Sandwich IslandsApostolic Vicariate of Tahiti