Archdiocese of Cape Town Archidioecesis Civitatis Capitis | |
|---|---|
 Cathedral of Our Lady of the Flight into Egypt | |
| Location | |
| Country |  South Africa |
| Territory | City of Cape Town, municipalities of Swartland, Saldanha Bay, Bergrivier, Cederberg, Drakenstein, Stellenbosch, Theewaterskloof, Overstand, and Cape Agulhas |
| Episcopal conference | Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 30,892 km2 (11,927 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2021) 4,741,156 268,307 (5.7%) |
| Parishes | 73 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | January 18, 1951 |
| Cathedral | The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Flight into Egypt |
| Secular priests | 70 |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Stephen Brislin |
| Auxiliary Bishops | Sylvester Anthony John David |
| Map | |
 | |
| Website | |
| https://adct.org.za/ | |
The Archdiocese of Cape Town (Latin: Archidioecesis Civitatis Capitis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in Cape Town, in the south-western region of South Africa. The principal church of the archdiocese and the location of the archbishop's cathedra is the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Flight into Egypt, which also serves as the patron saint for the archdiocese.
Currently, Stephen Brislin holds the position of Archbishop of Cape Town, with Sylvester David serving as the auxiliary bishop to assist him in his pastoral responsibilities.
The Archdiocese of Cape Town has a rich history that dates back to its establishment as the Apostolic Vicariate of Cape of Good Hope (and adjacent territories) on June 18, 1818, by Pope Pius VII. It was formed by splitting off territories from the then-Territorial Prelature of Mozambique and the Diocese of Tomé.
On April 4, 1819, it expanded its territory by gaining land from the suppressed Apostolic Prefecture of New Holland.
Over the years, it underwent several changes in its territorial boundaries. In 1834, the Apostolic Vicariate of New Holland and Van Diemen's Land was established, resulting in a loss of territory. Additionally, on June 6, 1837, the Apostolic Vicariate of Mauritius was formed, further reducing the Archdiocese's territory.
It was renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Cape of Good Hope, Western District on 30 July 1847, losing territory to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Cape of Good Hope, Eastern District.
On 3 August 1874, it lost territory to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Cape of Good Hope, Central District.
It was renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Cape Town on 13 June 1939.
Pope Pius XII elevated it to the rank of a metropolitan archdiocese on 11 January 1951.
On 18 August 1986, it lost territory to establish the Mission sui juris of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha off its Atlantic Coast.[1]
The Archdiocese of Cape Town encompasses a vast geographical area, which is divided into 73 parishes. Each parish is mandated to have its own pastoral council and finance council. Representatives from these parish councils, along with members of other bodies, collectively constitute the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council. This council's primary responsibility is to provide advice to the archbishop on specific matters.
The archdiocese covers a total area of 30 892 square kilometers and is home to a population of 3 324 539 people, with 215 187 adhering to the Catholic faith. The administrative hub of the archdiocese is known as the chancery and is situated at 12 Bouquet Street in Cape Town.
Geographically, the archdiocese is centered around the city of Cape Town and encompasses the southernmost tip of the African continent. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the southern boundaries of the Van Rhynsdorp district to the north, the western boundaries of the Calvinia, Ceres, Tulbagh, Worcester, Robertson, and Swellendam districts to the east, and the Indian Ocean to the south. The civil districts within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the archdiocese include Cape, Wynberg, Simon's Town, Bellville, Somerset West, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Wellington, Caledon, Bredasdorp, Malmesbury, Piketberg, and Clanwilliam.
Stephen Brislin serves as the Archbishop of Cape Town, having assumed this role on February 7, 2010. His installation took place on the Solemnity of Our Lady of the Flight into Egypt, which is the patronal feast of the archdiocese.[2]
The ecclesiastical province comprises the Metropolitan's own archdiocese and the suffragan sees :