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Archdiocese of Colombo, Sri Lanka 🇱🇰

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Colombo / Columben(sis) in Taprobane (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Anuradhapura, Badulla, Batticaloa, Chilaw, Galle, Jaffna, Kandy, Kurunegala, Mannar, Ratnapura, Trincomalee

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Websites:

Celebrations

History

  • 1834.12.03: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Ceylon (from Diocese of Cochin)
  • 1845.02.17: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Colombo / Columben(sis) (Latin) (lost territory to establish Apostolic Vicariate of Jaffna)
  • 1883.04.20: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Vicariate of Kandy
  • 1886.09.01: Promoted as Archdiocese of Colombo / Columben(sis) (Latin)
  • 1887.06.07: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Colombo / Columben(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Jaffna and Kandy)
  • 1893.08.25: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Galle and Diocese of Trincomalee and gained suffragan sees Galle and Trincomalee
  • 1939.01.05: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Chilaw and gained suffragan see Chilaw
  • 1944.12.06: Renamed as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Colombo in Ceylon / Columbensis in Ceylon (Latin)
  • 1972.05.22: Renamed as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Colombo / Columben(sis) in Taprobane (Latin)
  • 1972.12.18: Gained suffragan see Badulla
  • 1975.12.19: Gained suffragan see Anuradhapura
  • 1981.01.24: Gained suffragan see Mannar
  • 1987.05.15: Gained suffragan see Kurunegala
  • 1995.11.02: Gained suffragan see Ratnapura
  • 2012.07.03: Gained suffragan see Batticaloa

Papal Visits

Present Prelates

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Colombo (Roman Rite)

Cardinal Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don (77)Cardinal Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don (77)
(2009.06.16 – ...)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Lorenzo in Lucina
Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo (Sri Lanka)

Verbum caro factum est

Archbishop Oswald Thomas Colman Gomis
(2002.07.06 – 2009.06.16)

All for love

Archbishop Nicholas Marcus Fernando
(1977.03.21 – 2002.07.06)

Christus Dominus

Cardinal Thomas Benjamin Cooray, O.M.I.
(1972.05.22 – 1976.09.02)

Ministrare non ministrari

Born:1901.12.28 (Periyamulla Negombo, Sri Lanka)
Ordained Priest:1929.06.23
Consecrated Bishop:1946.03.07
Created Cardinal:1965.02.22
Died:1988.10.29 (Tewatta Ragama, Sri Lanka † 86)

Titular Archbishop of Preslavus (1945.12.14 – 1947.07.28)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Colombo in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) (1945.12.14 – 1947.07.28)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) (1947.07.28 – 1972.05.22)

Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Nereo ed Achilleo (1965.02.25 – 1988.10.29)

President of Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka (1970 – 1977)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1972.05.22 – 1976.09.02)

Metropolitan Archbishops of Colombo in Ceylon (Roman Rite)

Cardinal Thomas Benjamin Cooray, O.M.I.
(1947.07.28 – 1972.05.22)

(see above)

Archbishop Jean-Marie Masson, O.M.I.
(1944.12.06 – 1947.07.28)

Born:1876.03.21 (France)
Ordained Priest:1901.07.07
Consecrated Bishop:1938.08.24
Died:1947.07.28 († 71)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1938.06.13 – 1944.12.06)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) (1944.12.06 – 1947.07.28)

Metropolitan Archbishops of Colombo (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Jean-Marie Masson, O.M.I.
(1938.06.13 – 1944.12.06)

(see above)

Archbishop Pierre-Guillaume Marque, O.M.I.
(1929.12.16 – 1937.06.04)

Born:1882.11.23 (France)
Ordained Priest:1907.04.02
Consecrated Bishop:1930.02.11
Died:1937.06.04 († 54)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1929.12.16 – 1937.06.04)

Archbishop Antoine Coudert, O.M.I.
(1905.06.27 – 1929.03.31)

Born:1861.01.02 (France)
Ordained Priest:1886.04.10
Consecrated Bishop:1898.11.30
Died:1929.03.31 († 68)

Titular Archbishop of Balaneæ (1898.07.18 – 1905.06.27)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1898.07.18 – 1905.06.27)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1905.06.27 – 1929.03.31)

Archbishop André-Théophile Mélizan, O.M.I.
(1893.04.15 – 1905.06.27)

De cœlo robur et solatium

Born:1844.09.27 (France)
Ordained Priest:1868.10.19
Consecrated Bishop:1880.01.24
Died:1905.06.27 († 60)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1879.07.18 – 1883.04.20)

Titular Bishop of Adrana (1879.07.18 – 1886.09.01)

Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1883.04.20 – 1886.09.01)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1886.09.01 – 1893.04.15)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1893.04.15 – 1905.06.27)

Archbishop Christophe-Etienne Bonjean, O.M.I.
(1886.09.01 – 1892.08.03)

Born:1823.09.23 (France)
Ordained Priest:1846.12.19
Consecrated Bishop:1868.08.24
Died:1892.08.03 († 68)

Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) ([1868.07.05] 1868.07.24 – 1883.04.20)

Titular Bishop of Medea (1868.07.24 – 1886.09.01)

Vicar Apostolic of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1883.04.20 – 1886.09.01)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1886.09.01 – 1892.08.03)

Vicars Apostolic of Colombo (Roman Rite)

Bishop Christophe-Etienne Bonjean, O.M.I. (later Archbishop)
(1883.04.20 – 1886.09.01)

(see above)

Bishop Clemente Pagnani, O.S.B. Silv.
(1879.11.12 – 1883.04.20)

Born:1834.06.24
Ordained Priest:1857.12
Consecrated Bishop:1879.12.25
Died:1911.06.27 († 77)

Vicar Apostolic of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1879.11.12 – 1883.04.20)

Titular Bishop of Hephæstum (1879.11.12 – 1886.09.01)

Vicar Apostolic of Kandy (Sri Lanka) (1883.04.20 – 1886.09.01)

Bishop of Kandy (Sri Lanka) (1886.09.01 – 1911.06.27)

Bishop Hilarion Silani, O.S.B. Silv.
(1863.09.17 – 1879.03.27)

Born:1812.02.07
Consecrated Bishop:1863.12.27
Died:1879.03.27 († 67)

Vicar Apostolic of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1863.09.17 – 1879.03.27)

Titular Bishop of Callinicum (1863.09.22 – 1879.03.27)

Bishop Giuseppe Maria Bravi, O.S.B. Silv.
(1857.01.25 – 1860.08.15)

Born:1813.12.06 (Italy)
Ordained Priest:1836.06.19
Consecrated Bishop:1850.01.13
Died:1860.08.15 († 46)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1849.08.03 – 1857.01.25)

Titular Bishop of Tipasa (1849.08.03 – 1860.08.15)

Vicar Apostolic of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1857.01.25 – 1860.08.15)

Bishop Caetano Antonio Mulsuce, C.O.
(1845.02.17 – 1857.01.25)

Born: (India)
Consecrated Bishop:1843.09.24
Died:1857.01.25

Vicar Apostolic of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) (1843.05.24 – 1845.02.17)

Titular Bishop of Usula (1843.05.24 – 1857.01.25)

Vicar Apostolic of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1845.02.17 – 1857.01.25)

Vicars Apostolic of Ceylon (Roman Rite)

Bishop Caetano Antonio Mulsuce, C.O.
(1843.05.24 – 1845.02.17)

(see above)

Bishop Vicente do Rosayro, C.O.
(1836.12.23 – 1842.04.29)

Born: (India)
Ordained Priest:1795
Consecrated Bishop:1838.12.09
Died:1842.04.29

Titular Bishop of Thaumaci (1836.12.23 – 1842.04.29)

Vicar Apostolic of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) (1836.12.23 – 1842.04.29)

Former Prelates

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 3,684 km²

Population: 693,483 Catholics (11.1% of 6,224,540 total)

Pastoral Centres: 144 parishes, 8 missions

Personnel: 552 priests (373 diocesan, 179 religious), 1,323 religious (300 brothers, 1,023 sisters), 186 seminarians