Roman Catholic Diocese of Sapë


The Diocese of Sapë is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Northern Albania. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Shkodër-Pult.
The diocese is named after the town of Sapë, which is located near the Drin, southeast of Lake Scutari. However, the cathedral of the diocese is Katedralja e Nënë Terezja, in the town of Vau-Dejës, Shkodër County. The former cathedral is Kisha e Shën Gjergjit, in Nënshat in the same county.
The diocese is one of six Catholic jurisdictions in Albania. It is located in the vicinity of Lake Scutari, at the river basin of Drin.

Statistics and extent

, it pastorally served 70,701 Catholics on 2,544 km2 in 32 parishes with 19 priests, 1 deacon, 60 lay religious and 2 seminarians.
The ecclesiastical students of this diocese are educated at the seminary of Scutari. The Diocese of Sappa also includes the Franciscan monastery at Troshan, where the Minorites have a "Collegium seraphicum" for their students of philosophy.

History

The bishopric was established in 1062, by Pope Alexander II. During the 11th century, the diocese was located within Dioclea.
In 1491 Pope Innocent VIII joined to it the Bishopric of Sardë, and the united sees were suffragans of the Archbishopric of Antivari until the end of the eighteenth century. The See of Sardë comprised also the Diocese of Dagnum, founded as suffragan of Antivari during the second half of the fourteenth century and united with Sarda by Pope Martin V in 1428. By the Albanian Council in 1703, the Bishop of Sappa obtained some parishes previously belonging to the Diocese of Pulati.
The exact number of bishops of Sappa is unknown. The first Bishop of Sappa mentioned is Peter in c. 1291. Notable bishops of Sappa include Gjergj Bardhi and Lazër Vladanji later became Archbishops of Bar. Pjetër Zarishi was a secretary to the Bishop of Sappa.

Episcopal ordinaries

;Bishops of Sapë
  • Pietro = Peter I
  • Paolo = Paul
  • Benevenuli = Benvenuto
  • Peter II = Pietro Zaccaria
  • Nicholas I
  • Michael
  • Peter III
  • Peter IV
  • Matthew
  • George I
  • Emmanuel
  • Unknown
  • Marinus I
  • Gabriel I
  • Blasius
  • Prodokimi
  • Peter V
  • Dominic
  • Ambrosius
  • George III
  • Didak Fernandez
  • John I
  • Alphonse
  • Diocese ceased to function for 50 years for unknown reasons
  • Theobald
  • George IV
  • Nicholas II
  • Simon I
  • Peter VI
  • George IV
  • Francis
  • George IV
  • Simon II
  • Stephen
  • Martin
  • George V
  • Egidius
  • Marinus II
  • John II
  • Basil
  • Lazarus I
  • George
  • Nicholas III
  • John III
  • Anthony
  • Marcus
  • Alexander
  • Lazarus I
  • Peter VII
  • George VII
  • Peter VIII
  • Julius
  • Lawrence
  • Gabriel II
  • Lazarus II
  • Jacob
  • George VI
  • * Gaspar – Apostolic Administrator
  • Joseph
  • Nicholas IV
  • George VIII
  • John IV
  • * Francis II – Apostolic Administrator
  • * Angel – Apostolic Administrator
  • * Dodë Gjergji – Apostolic Administrator
  • Lucian
  • Simon III