Apostolic Administrator - Present Cases

Present Cases

In August 2008, there were the following stable apostolic administrations, each administered by a bishop. Most of these are of the Roman rite, with the following exception:

• Southern Albania (established in 1939; suffragan of Tirana–Durrës), of the Albanian Byzantine Catholic Church

All others are of the Roman rite; most are in current or former communist countries.

• Atyrau in Kazakhstan, suffragan of the Metropolitan of Astana;
• Caucasus, immediately subject to the Holy See, established in 1991 for two former Soviet Republics: Georgia (the cathedral is in its capital Tbilisi) and Armenia
• Estonia, one of the Baltic Countries, established in 1924, with its cathedral in the capital Tallinn
• Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet Republic in Central Asia, immediately subject, founded in 1997 as a mission sui juris and promoted in 2006
• Prizren, a former diocese in Kosovo (in 1969 absorbed by Skopje in the present Republic of Macedonia), restored in 2000, immediately subject
• Uzbekistan, former Soviet Republic in Central Asia, immediately subject, founded in 1997 as a mission sui juris and promoted in 2005
• Harbin in the People's Republic of China, immediately subject, established in 1935, with a cathedral, vacant since 1946
• Kinma (Kinmen and Matsu, under the control of the Republic of China (Taiwan)), established in 1968, led by the Archbishop of Taipei.
• Comoros (established in 1975; still includes Mayotte, which split off politically by remaining under French administration), immediately subject, administrated by a priest.
• The Diocese of Kilfenora, in the west of Ireland has had the Bishop of the neighbouring Diocese of Galway and Kilmacduagh as Apostolic Administrator since 1883. They have not been united because they are in different ecclesiastical provinces.
• The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee in Florida, USA, immediately subject, after the abdication of John Ricard from the bishopric in early March 2011. His reasons for abdicating have been disputed. Thomas Wenski, Archbishop of the Diocese of Miami, currently serves as Diocesan Administrator for Pensacola-Tallahassee.

In addition, the Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney is a non-territorial jurisdiction, similar to a personal prelature. It is a separate particular church for traditionalist Catholics within the Brazilian Diocese of Campos, and suffragan of Niterói. The personal apostolic administration was formed by Pope John Paul II to administer to a group of traditionalist Catholic priests who reconciled with Rome on January 18, 2002. The group had been formed by bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer and had been associated with the Society of St. Pius X of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.