Antwerpen {Antwerp} (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]

Bishop(s)

Johan Jozef Bonny, Bishop
Paul Van den Berghe, Bishop Emeritus

General Information

Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese
Erected: 8 December 1961
Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussel {Malines-Brussels}
Rite: Latin (or Roman)
Country: Belgium
Square Kilometers: 2,570 (992 Square Miles)
Official Web Site: https://www.kerknet.be/organisatie/bisdom-antwerpen
Mailing Address: Bisdom, Schoenmarkt 2, B-2000 Antwerpen, Belgie
Telephone: (03) 202.84.30

Historical Details

Diocese of Antwerpen {Antwerp, Anvers}
- Latin Name: Antverpiensis
- Erected: 12 May 1559
- Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Mechelen
- Country: Belgium

Past and Present Ordinaries

Philippe Nigri † (10 Mar 1561 Appointed - 4 Jan 1563 Died)
François Sonnius (Van de Velde) † (13 Mar 1570 Appointed - 29 Jun 1576 Died)
Liévin (Hermann) Van der Beken (Torrentinus) † (27 Oct 1586 Appointed - 26 Apr 1595 Died)
Guillaume de Berghes † (14 Apr 1597 Appointed - 9 Apr 1601 Appointed, Archbishop of Cambrai)
Jean Le Mire (Miraeus) † (15 Mar 1604 Appointed - 12 Jan 1611 Died)
Jean Marie Malderus (van Malderen) † (25 May 1611 Appointed - 21 Oct 1633 Died)
Gaspard Dubois (Van Den Bosch, Nemius) † (12 Feb 1635 Appointed - 27 Nov 1651 Confirmed, Archbishop of Cambrai)
Marius Ambroise Capello, O.P. † (6 Jul 1654 Appointed - 4 Oct 1676 Died)
Aubertus van den Eede † (13 Sep 1677 Appointed - 2 Nov 1678 Died)
Jean-Ferdinand Van Beughem † (25 Sep 1679 Appointed - 19 May 1699 Died)
Réginald Cools, O.P. † (10 May 1700 Appointed - 2 Dec 1706 Died)
Pierre-Joseph de Franken-Sierstof † (15 Dec 1710 Appointed - 19 Oct 1727 Died)
Charles d’Espinoza, O.F.M. Cap. † (14 Jun 1728 Appointed - 31 Jul 1742 Died)
Guillaume-Philippe de Herzelles † (11 Mar 1743 Confirmed - 2 Sep 1744 Died)
Joseph Anselme François Werbrouck † (17 Jan 1746 Confirmed - 24 Dec 1747 Died)
Dominique (Wilhelm Philipp) Gentis, O.P. † (5 May 1749 Confirmed - 3 Jul 1758 Died)
Henri-Gabriel van Gameren † (4 Apr 1759 Confirmed - 26 Jan 1775 Died)
Jacques-Thomas-Joseph Wellens † (15 Jul 1776 Confirmed - 30 Jan 1784 Died)
Corneille-François de Nélis † (14 Feb 1785 Confirmed - 21 Aug 1798 Died)
Jules Victor Daem † (5 Apr 1962 Appointed - 4 Nov 1977 Retired)
Godfried Danneels † (4 Nov 1977 Appointed - 19 Dec 1979 Appointed, Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel {Malines-Brussels})
Paul Van den Berghe (3 Jul 1980 Appointed - 28 Oct 2008 Retired)
Johan Jozef Bonny (28 Oct 2008 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Diocese of Antwerpen {Antwerp, Anvers}
12 May 1559	Erected	Diocese of Cambrai Diocese of Liège	Diocese of Antwerpen {Antwerp, Anvers} (erected)
29 November 1801	Suppressed	Diocese of Antwerpen {Antwerp, Anvers} (suppressed)	Archdiocese of Mechelen
22 March 1803	Territory Lost	Diocese of Antwerpen {Antwerp, Anvers} Diocese of Gent {Ghent, Gand} Diocese of Roermond	Vicariate Apostolic of Breda (erected)
Diocese of Antwerpen {Antwerp}
8 December 1961	Erected	Archdiocese of Mechelen	Diocese of Antwerpen {Antwerp} (erected)
30 November 1977	Territory Added	Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussel {Malines-Brussels} (St. John the Evangelist in Konings-Hooikt and St. Joseph in Peulis)	Diocese of Antwerpen {Antwerp}

Year Catholics Total Population Percent Catholic Diocesan Priests Religious Priests Total Priests Catholics Per Priest Permanent Deacons Male Religious Female Religious Parishes Source

Diocese of Antwerpen {Antwerp}

1970 1,200,000 1,330,506 90.2% 1,107 1,107 1,084 5,336 306 ap1971

1980 1,228,726 1,370,875 89.6% 919 672 1,591 772 10 908 4,462 317 ap1981

1990 1,318,521 1,390,027 94.9% 701 559 1,260 1,046 37 739 3,453 320 ap1991

1999 1,302,160 1,433,845 90.8% 520 503 1,023 1,272 61 623 2,582 318 ap2000

2000 1,301,088 1,436,482 90.6% 519 492 1,011 1,286 62 611 2,483 316 ap2001

2001 1,283,503 1,433,174 89.6% 506 513 1,019 1,259 65 629 2,385 316 ap2002

2002 1,281,722 1,440,672 89.0% 468 493 961 1,333 65 600 2,296 316 ap2003

2003 1,280,563 1,446,757 88.5% 447 461 908 1,410 68 560 2,204 313 ap2004

2004 1,281,702 1,454,396 88.1% 426 465 891 1,438 73 562 2,137 317 ap2005

2006 1,289,847 1,468,265 87.8% 394 445 839 1,537 77 526 1,927 310 ap2007

2012 1,265,000 1,536,000 82.4% 293 333 626 2,020 73 405 1,387 301 ap2013

2015 1,208,000 1,566,000 77.1% 242 310 552 2,188 72 379 1,147 297 ap2016

2018 1,218,800 1,579,330 77.2% 208 277 485 2,512 76 324 926 291 ap2019

2020 1,215,000 1,586,590 76.6% 196 233 429 2,832 75 233 611 290 ap2021

2022 1,174,162 1,533,263 76.6% 165 187 352 3,335 69 187 703 280 ap2023

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Diocese of Antwerpen {Antwerp}
1970	1,200,000	1,330,506	90.2%	1,107		1,107	1,084			5,336	306	ap1971
1980	1,228,726	1,370,875	89.6%	919	672	1,591	772	10	908	4,462	317	ap1981
1990	1,318,521	1,390,027	94.9%	701	559	1,260	1,046	37	739	3,453	320	ap1991
1999	1,302,160	1,433,845	90.8%	520	503	1,023	1,272	61	623	2,582	318	ap2000
2000	1,301,088	1,436,482	90.6%	519	492	1,011	1,286	62	611	2,483	316	ap2001
2001	1,283,503	1,433,174	89.6%	506	513	1,019	1,259	65	629	2,385	316	ap2002
2002	1,281,722	1,440,672	89.0%	468	493	961	1,333	65	600	2,296	316	ap2003
2003	1,280,563	1,446,757	88.5%	447	461	908	1,410	68	560	2,204	313	ap2004
2004	1,281,702	1,454,396	88.1%	426	465	891	1,438	73	562	2,137	317	ap2005
2006	1,289,847	1,468,265	87.8%	394	445	839	1,537	77	526	1,927	310	ap2007
2012	1,265,000	1,536,000	82.4%	293	333	626	2,020	73	405	1,387	301	ap2013
2015	1,208,000	1,566,000	77.1%	242	310	552	2,188	72	379	1,147	297	ap2016
2018	1,218,800	1,579,330	77.2%	208	277	485	2,512	76	324	926	291	ap2019
2020	1,215,000	1,586,590	76.6%	196	233	429	2,832	75	233	611	290	ap2021
2022	1,174,162	1,533,263	76.6%	165	187	352	3,335	69	187	703	280	ap2023

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

Guillaume de Berghes † (Bishop: 14 Apr 1597 to 9 Apr 1601)
Jacques Boonen † (Priest: 28 May 1611 to 28 Nov 1616)
Marius Ambroise Capello, O.P. † (Bishop: 6 Jul 1654 to 4 Oct 1676)
Réginald Cools, O.P. † (Bishop: 10 May 1700 to 2 Dec 1706)
Jules Victor Daem † (Bishop: 5 Apr 1962 to 4 Nov 1977)
Godfried Danneels † (Bishop: 4 Nov 1977 to 19 Dec 1979)
Gilles de Böck (Boeck), C.I.C.M. †
Gaspard Dubois (Van Den Bosch, Nemius) † (Bishop: 12 Feb 1635 to 27 Nov 1651)
Charles d’Espinoza, O.F.M. Cap. † (Bishop: 14 Jun 1728 to 31 Jul 1742)
Pierre-Joseph de Franken-Sierstof † (Bishop: 15 Dec 1710 to 19 Oct 1727)
Dominique (Wilhelm Philipp) Gentis, O.P. † (Bishop: 5 May 1749 to 3 Jul 1758)
Guillaume-Philippe de Herzelles † (Bishop: 11 Mar 1743 to 2 Sep 1744)
Thomas Louis Heylen, O. Praem. †
Henri-Osvald de La Tour d’Auvergne de Bouillon †
Jean Le Mire (Miraeus) † (Bishop: 15 Mar 1604 to 12 Jan 1611)
Jean Marie Malderus (van Malderen) † (Bishop: 25 May 1611 to 21 Oct 1633)
Corneille-François de Nélis † (Bishop: 14 Feb 1785 to 21 Aug 1798)
Philippe Nigri † (Bishop: 10 Mar 1561 to 4 Jan 1563)
François Sonnius (Van de Velde) † (Bishop: 13 Mar 1570 to 29 Jun 1576)
Jean-Ferdinand Van Beughem † (Bishop: 25 Sep 1679 to 19 May 1699)
Victor Van Beurden, SS.CC. †
François Van den Berghe, C.I.C.M. †
Aubertus van den Eede † (Bishop: 13 Sep 1677 to 2 Nov 1678)
Liévin (Hermann) Van der Beken (Torrentinus) † (Bishop: 27 Oct 1586 to 26 Apr 1595)
Josephus Franciscus van der Stappen †
Jan Frans (Jean-François) Van de Velde †
Adrianus van Dongen † (Deacon: 17 Jun 1778; Priest: 19 Dec 1778 to 22 Mar 1803)
Henri-Gabriel van Gameren † (Bishop: 4 Apr 1759 to 26 Jan 1775)
Joseph van Reeth, S.J. †
Jacques-Thomas-Joseph Wellens † (Bishop: 15 Jul 1776 to 30 Jan 1784)
Joseph Anselme François Werbrouck † (Bishop: 17 Jan 1746 to 24 Dec 1747)

Source(s)

Diocese of Antwerpen {Antwerp, Anvers}
- Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 7, Page 81
- Series Episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Volume 1, Page 247
Diocese of Antwerpen {Antwerp}
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 54, Page 765, and Page 766
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 70, Page 194, and Page 195

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Diocese of Antwerpen {Antwerp}

Dioecesis Antverpiensis