Roman Catholicism in Iran
The Catholic Church in Iran is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are about 21,380 Catholics in Iran, out of a total population of about 78.9 million. They follow the Chaldean, Armenian and Latin Rites. Aside from some Iranian citizens, Roman Catholics include foreigners in Iran like Spanish-speaking people (Latin Americans and Spanish), and other Europeans.
Contents
Dioceses and Archdioceses[1][2]
- Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Ispahan/Esfáan
- Chaldean Catholic Archdiocese of Tehran/Teheran
- Chaldean Catholic Archdiocese of Urmyā/Rezayeh/Urmia
- Chaldean Catholic Archeparchy of Ahvaz/Ahwaz
- Chaldean Catholic Diocese of Salmas/Shahpour
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Isfahan/Esfáan/Ispahan
Cathedrals[3]
- Cathedral of the Consolata in Tehran, Iran (Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Isfahan)
- Cathedral of St. Joseph in Tehran, Iran (Chaldean Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tehran)
- Cathedral of St. Mary the Mother of God in Urmia, Iran (Chaldean Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Urmyā)
See also List of Catholic churches in Tehran
Diplomatic relations
In October 2010, an Iranian official delivered a letter from President Ahmadinejad to Pope Benedict XVI in which the President said he hoped to work closely with the Vatican to help stem religious intolerance, the breakup of families and the increase of secularism and materialism. A return letter from Pope Benedict was hand-delivered by Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, according to Passionist Father Reverend Ciro Benedettini, Vice-Director of the Vatican Press Office in a statement issued November 10, 2010. The papal letter's contents were not disclosed. Cardinal Tauran met personally with the Iranian leader while Tauran was participating in a three-day meeting on Muslim-Christian relations, along with Iranian Catholic leaders. The meeting was a joint initiative of the Vatican Interreligious Council and the Teheran-based Islamic Culture and Relations Organization.
Related pages
References
- ↑ GCatholic.org: Catholic Dioceses in Iran
- ↑ Catholic-Hierarchy: Current Dioceses in Iran
- ↑ GCatholic.org: Cathedrals in Iran