Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Riga

Archdiocese of Riga

*Archidioecesis Rigensis*

Rīgas arhidiecēze
Archdiocese of Riga; Archidioecesis Rigensis; Rīgas arhidiecēze
	The Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of St James in Riga
Location
Country	Latvia
Ecclesiastical province	Riga
Statistics
Area	23,587 km2 (9,107 sq mi)
Population; - Total; - Catholics	(as of 2020); 1,182,100; 207,560 (17.6%)
Information
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Latin Rite
Cathedral	Svētā Jēkaba Katedrāle; (Cathedral Basilica of St. James)
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Metropolitan Archbishop	Zbigņevs Stankevičs
Auxiliary Bishops	Andris Kravalis
Bishops emeritus	Jānis Pujats (cardinal) ; Jānis Cakuls (auxiliary)
Map
	; Location of Archdiocese of Riga in Latvia

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Riga is an archdiocese administered from the capital city of Riga in Latvia.^[1]^[2]^[3] Its cathedral is Svētā Jēkaba Katedrāle. It is a metropolitan archdiocese which also helps to administer three suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Riga in Latvia.

History

1186: Established as Diocese of Üxküll
1 October 1188: Designated a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Hamburg-Bremen, Germany^[4]
1202: Renamed as Diocese of Riga
20 January 1255: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Riga^[5]
1561: Suppressed
22 September 1918: Restored as Diocese of Riga from territory of Vidzeme, Latgale, and Estonia
9 June 1920: Added territory of Courland and Zemgale from Diocese of Samogitia^[6]
25 October 1923: Promoted as Archdiocese of Riga^[7]
1 November 1924: Lost territory to new Apostolic Administration of Estonia^[8]
8 May 1937: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Riga;^[9] lost territory to new Diocese of Liepāja^[10]
2 December 1995: Lost territory to new Diocese of Rēzekne–Aglona^[11]

Elevated: 1252^[2]
Suppressed: 1540^[2]

Albert Suerber, O.P. (1253 – 1273 Died)
Juan de Luna (17 May 1274 – 1286 Died)
Jens Grand (30 Mar 1302 – 1304 Resigned)
Johann Walenrode (27 Sep 1393 – 30 May 1418 Appointed, Archbishop (Personal Title) of Liège)
Johann Abundi (11 Jul 1418 – 1424 Died)
Silvester Stodewescher (09 Oct 1448 – 12 Jul 1479)^[1]
Michael Hildebrand (4 Jun 1484 – 5 Feb 1509 Died)^[12]
Jasper Linde (23 May 1509 – 29 Jun 1524)^[1]

Erected: 22 September 1918^[3]

Elevated: 25 October 1923^[3]

Archbishop Antonijs Springovičs (25 Oct 1923 – 1 Oct 1958) (As Archbishop of Riga)
Bishop Pēteris Strods (1 Oct 1958 – 5 Aug 1960) (Apostolic Administrator)
Cardinal Julijans Vaivods (10 Nov 1964 – 24 May 1990) (Apostolic Administrator)
Bishop Jānis Cakuls (23 May 1990 – 8 May 1991) (Apostolic Administrator)
Cardinal Jānis Pujats (8 May 1991 – 19 Jun 2010)
Archbishop Zbigņevs Stankevičs (19 Jun 2010 – )