Apostolic Vicariate of Beirut, Lebanon

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathédrale Saint-Louis, Beirut, Beirut
Former Cathedral (now secular): Ancienne Cathédrale Saint-Jean des Croisés, Beirut, Beirut
Former Cathedral (now ruined): Crusader Cathedral Ruins of the Holy Cross, Tyre, South Lebanon

Aleppo (↗), Jerusalem (↓)

Present Prelates

Vicar Apostolic (2016.08.02 – ...):

Bishop Cesar Essayan, O.F.M. Conv. (60)

Titular Bishop of Mareotes

Vice-President of Conference of the Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions

Ordinaries

Vicars Apostolic of Beirut (Roman Rite)

Bishop Cesar Essayan, O.F.M. Conv. (60)
(2016.08.02 – ...)

Vicar Apostolic of Beirut (Lebanon)
Titular Bishop of Mareotes
Vice-President of Conference of the Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions

Evangelium et caritas

Born:	1962.05.27 (Saïda, Lebanon)
Ordained Priest:	1993.04.17
Consecrated Bishop:	2016.10.08

Titular Bishop of Mareotes (2016.08.02 – ...)

Vicar Apostolic of Beirut (Lebanon) (2016.08.02 – ...)

Vice-President of Conference of the Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions (2020? – ...)

Archbishop Paul Dahdah, O.C.D. (82)
(1999.07.30 – 2016.08.02)

Titular Archbishop of Aræ in Numidia
Vicar Apostolic emeritus of Beirut (Lebanon)

Diligere Deum

Born:	1941.01.08 (Zghorta, Lebanon)
Ordained Priest:	1966.04.17
Consecrated Bishop:	1983.08.21

Archbishop of Baghdad (Iraq) (1983.05.30 – 1999.07.30)

Apostolic Administrator of Baghdad (Iraq) (1999.07.30 – 2000.11.29)

Vicar Apostolic of Beirut (Lebanon) (1999.07.30 – 2016.08.02)

Titular Archbishop of Aræ in Numidia (1999.07.30 – ...)

Bishop Paul Bassim, O.C.D.
(1974.09.08 – 1999.07.30)

Born:	1922.11.14 (Lebanon)
Ordained Priest:	1946.06.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1974.11.24
Died:	2012.08.21 († 89)

Vicar Apostolic of Beirut (Lebanon) (1974.09.08 – 1999.07.30)

Titular Bishop of Laodicea ad Libanum (1974.09.08 – 2012.08.21)

Bishop Eustace John Smith, O.F.M.
(1955.12.08 – 1973)

Born:	1908.08.22 (USA)
Ordained Priest:	1934.06.12
Consecrated Bishop:	1956.02.02
Died:	1975.06.13 († 66)

Vicar Apostolic of Beirut (Lebanon) (1955.12.08 – 1973)

Titular Bishop of Apamea Cibotus (1955.12.08 – 1975.06.13)

Bishops of Beirut (Roman Rite)

Bishop Bartolomeo
(1272? – 1283)

Bishop of Beirut (Lebanon) (1272? – 1283)

Bishop Bernardo
(1267? – ?)

Bishop of Beirut (Lebanon) (1267? – ?)

Bishop Gualerano
(1221? – ?)

Bishop of Beirut (Lebanon) (1221? – ?)

Bishop Roberto
(1210? – ?)

Bishop of Beirut (Lebanon) (1210? – ?)

Bishop Odo
(1181 – 1190)

Consecrated Bishop:	1181
Died:	1190

Bishop of Beirut (Lebanon) (1181 – 1190)

Bishop Rainaldo
(1175 – 1180.09.13)

Consecrated Bishop:	1175.05.02
Died:	1180.09.13

Bishop of Beirut (Lebanon) (1175 – 1180.09.13)

Bishop Mainardo
(? – 1174.04.25)

Died:

1174.04.25

Bishop of Beirut (Lebanon) (? – 1174.04.25)

Bishop Guglielmo
(1147? – ?)

Bishop of Beirut (Lebanon) (1147? – ?)

Bishop Giovanni
(1146? – ?)

Bishop of Beirut (Lebanon) (1146? – ?)

Former Titular Bishops

Titular Archbishop: Archbishop Antônio Augusto de Assis (1922.02.24 – 1931.07.31)
Titular Archbishop: Archbishop Hilarion-Joseph Montéty (1891.02.13 – 1921.07.12)
Titular Archbishop: Archbishop Manuel Teodoro del Valle (1872.11.19 – 1888.10.16)
Titular Archbishop: Archbishop Camillo Di Pietro (later Cardinal) (1839.07.08 – 1856.06.16)
Titular Archbishop: Archbishop Gabriel Della Genga Sermattei (later Cardinal) (1833.06.29 – 1834.06.23)
Titular Archbishop: Archbishop Luigi Lambruschini, B. (later Cardinal) (1830.07.05 – 1831.09.30)
Titular Archbishop: Archbishop Fabrizio Sceberras Testaferrata (later Cardinal) (1802.09.20 – 1818.04.06)
Titular Archbishop: Archbishop Giuseppe Vinci (1785.04.11 – 1795.09.30)
Titular Archbishop: Archbishop Giuseppe Garampi (later Cardinal) (1772.01.27 – 1776.05.20)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Francesco Onofrio Odierna (1727.03.17 – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Timotheus Pescherard, O.F.M. Cap. (1715.05.29 – 1744.06.11)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Giovanni Francesco de Nicolais (余宜閣), O.F.M. (later Archbishop) (1696.10.20 – 1712.08.20)
Titular Bishop: Bishop-elect Manuel Torquemada, O. de M. (1690.07.10 – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Josephus Duchesne (1681.11.24 – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Pierre Lambert de la Motte, M.E.P. (1658.07.29 – 1679.06.15)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Andrés García de Zurita (1648.02.10 – 1649)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Arnaud de Maytie (1618.01.15 – 1620)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Francesco Gaeta (1537.06.20 – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Pietro Farfa (? – 1537)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Bernardino da Cremona, O.F.M. (1531.07.10 – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Pietro Faggeto, O.F.M. (1527.02.18 – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Juan Merton, O.E.S.A. (1508.09.06 – 1534)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Giovanni Briselot, O. Carm. (later Archbishop) (1505.04.04 – 1517.12.23)
Titular Bishop: Bishop García de Sahagún, O. de M. (1501.03.11 – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Pietro di Monimo, O.P. (1500.12.11 – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Egidio de Merica, O. Carm. (1499.05.10 – 1505.02.05)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Vincenzo de Mazuelo, O.P. (1498.04.06 – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Alfonso di Castiglia, O.F.M. (1497.07.14 – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Diego de Saldanha (1493.03.13 – 1497)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Pedro de Villalobos, O.E.S.A. (1475.07.12 – 1487)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Libert von Broechem, O.F.M. (1470.12.10 – 1474)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Gabriele, O. Cist. (1460.06.04 – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Giovanni di Falconio, O.F.M. (1456.07.09 – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Jean de Pierre (1453.06.20 – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Giovanni, O.P. (1453.04.20 – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Biagio di Chiusano, O.F.M. (1397.07.09 – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Giacomo (? – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Pietro (1348.06.23 – 1348.07.15)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Pietro (later Archbishop) (? – 1348.06.23)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Matteo, O.F.M. (1323.02.18 – 1333.09.10)
Titular Bishop: Fr. Emmanuele il Lungo, O.F.M. (1322 – ?)
Titular Bishop: Bishop Roberto (1315? – ?)

Statistics

Population: 18,000 Catholics (2020)

Statistics: 9 parishes, 2 missions, 130 priests (1 diocesan, 129 religious), 5 deacons, 1,092 lay religious (184 brothers, 908 sisters), 1 seminarian (2020)

History

1111: Established as Diocese of Beirut / Beyrouth (français) / Berito (Italiano) / Bairut / Berytus / Beryten(sis) (Latin)
1291.07.21: Suppressed as Titular Episcopal See of Beirut / Beyrouth (français) / Berito (Italiano) / Bairut / Berytus / Beryten(sis) (Latin)
1750?: Promoted as Titular Archiepiscopal See of Beirut / Beyrouth (français) / Berito (Italiano) / Bairut / Berytus / Beryten(sis) (Latin)
1925: Demoted as Titular Episcopal See of Beirut / Beyrouth (français) / Berito (Italiano) / Bairut / Berytus / Beryten(sis) (Latin)
1928: Promoted as Titular Archiepiscopal See of Beirut / Beyrouth (français) / Berito (Italiano) / Bairut / Berytus / Beryten(sis) (Latin)
1953.06.04: Restored as Apostolic Vicariate of Beirut / Beyrouth (français) / Berito (Italiano) / Bairut / Berytus / Beryten(sis) (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Aleppo)

Papal Visits

Pope Benedict XVI (2012.09)