View source for Roman Catholic Diocese of Mainz

{{short description|Latin Catholic ecclesiastical territory in Germany}}
{{Redirect|Bishop of Mainz|a list of pre-modern bishops|Elector of Mainz}}
{{Redirect|Diocese of Mainz|the ancient and medieval diocese|Electorate of Mainz}}

{{Infobox diocese
| jurisdiction      = Diocese<!-- Type of jurisdiction: i.e. Diocese or Archdiocese -->
| name              = Mainz
| latin             = Diœcesis Moguntinus
| local             = Bistum Mainz
| image             = Mainzer Dom nw.jpg
| image_size        = frameless
| image_alt         = 
| caption           = Mainz Cathedral
| coat              = Wappen Bistum Mainz.png
| coat_size         = 
| coat_alt          = 
<!---- Locations ---->
| country           = [[Germany]]
| territory         = 
| province          = Freiburg
| metropolitan      = [[Archdiocese of Freiburg]]
| deaneries         = 
| headquarters      = 
| coordinates       = <!-- Use {{coord}} -->
<!---- Statistics ---->
| area_km2          = 7,692<!-- Area in square kilometers, automatically converted -->
| area_footnotes    = 
| population        = 2,982,141
| population_as_of  = 2019
| catholics         = 686,705<!-- Number of Catholics in the diocese -->
| catholics_percent = 24.1
| parishes          = <!-- Number of parishes in the diocese -->
| churches          = <!-- Number of churches in the diocese -->
| congregations     = <!-- Number of congregations in the diocese -->
| schools           = <!-- Number of church supported schools in the diocese -->
| members           = <!-- Number of members in the diocese -->
<!---- Information ---->
| denomination      = [[Catholic Church]]
| sui_iuris_church  = [[Latin Church]]
| rite              = [[Roman Rite]]
| established       = 4th Century
| dissolved         = 
| cathedral         = [[Mainz Cathedral]]
| cocathedral       = 
| patron            = [[St. Martin of Tours]]
| priests           = <!-- Number of priests in the diocese -->
<!---- Current leadership ---->
| pope              = {{Incumbent pope}} <!-- DO NOT CHANGE. This will update the Popes Automatically as they change -->
| bishop            = [[Peter Kohlgraf]]
| metro_archbishop  = [[Stephan Burger]]
| coadjutor         = 
| auxiliary_bishops = 
| apostolic_admin   = 
| vicar_general     = 
| episcopal_vicar   = 
| judicial_vicar    = 
| emeritus_bishops  = 
<!---- Map ---->
| map               = Karte Bistum Mainz.png
| map_size          = 
| map_alt           = 
| map_caption       = 
<!---- Website ---->
| website           = {{Official website|https://bistummainz.de/|bistummainz.de}}
| footnotes         = 
}}
The '''Diocese of Mainz''', ({{langx|la|Diœcesis Moguntinus}}) historically known in English as '''Mentz''' as well as by its French name '''Mayence''', is a [[Latin Church]] ecclesiastical territory or [[diocese]] of the [[Catholic Church]] in [[Germany]]. It was founded in 304, promoted in 780 to Metropolitan [[Archbishopric of Mainz]] and demoted back in 1802 to bishopric. The diocese is [[suffragan diocese]] in the [[ecclesiastical province]] of the [[metropolis (religious jurisdiction)|metropolitan]] [[Archdiocese of Freiburg]].<ref>[http://www.ebfr.de/html/einleitung_englisch.html website of the Archdiocese of Freiburg]</ref><ref name=CathHierMainz>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dmain.html "Diocese of Mainz"] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved February 29, 2016</ref><ref name=GCathMainz>[http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/main0.htm "Diocese of Mainz"] ''GCatholic.org''. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 29, 2016</ref> Its district is located in the states of [[Rhineland-Palatinate]] and [[Hesse]]. The seat of the diocese is in [[Mainz]] at [[Mainz Cathedral|the Cathedral]] dedicated to Saints [[Saint Martin of Tours|Martin]] and [[Saint Stephen|Stephen]].<ref>[http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/main0.htm gcatholic.org]</ref>

== History ==
* Established in 340 as '''Diocese of Mainz'''
* Gained territory in 755 from the suppressed [[Diocese of Erfurt]]
* Promoted in 780 as '''Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mainz'''
* Demoted (back) on the 29th of November, 1801 to '''Diocese of Mainz''' (gained territory from Diocese of Metz, Diocese of Speyer, Metropolitan Archdiocese of Trier and Diocese of Worms)
* Lost territories repeatedly; in April 1818 to [[Diocese of Konstanz]], [[Diocese of Speyer]] and [[Diocese of Wurzburg]]; in July 1821 to [[Diocese of Paderborn]]; in August 1821 to [[Diocese of Fulda]] and to establish [[Diocese of Limburg]], and exchanged territory with [[Diocese of Trier]]; in March 1824 to [[Diocese of Hildesheim]].

== Organization, extent and statistics ==
Under Article 14 of the [[Reichskonkordat]] of 1933, which remains in force, the determination of the bishop to head the episcopal see and the composition of the chapter are governed by the provisions of [[Concordats with individual states of Germany|Baden Concordat of 1932]].

As per 2014, it pastorally served 749,583 Catholics (25.9% of 2,891,000 total) on 7,692&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> in 319 parishes, 504 priests (409 diocesan, 95 religious), 124 deacons, 447 lay religious (132 brothers, 315 sisters), 19 seminarians.

It is divided into 20 [[deanery|deaneries]], which in turn are divided into 136 pastoral care units. In 2007 these parish associations or parish groups included all 335 parishes and other chaplaincies of the diocese (as of 2007).<ref>Schematismus der Diözese Mainz 2007</ref> Pastoral units on the parish level have been introduced as a result of a profound structural change in the [[Roman Catholicism in Germany|Catholic Church in Germany]] in many dioceses, the constitution of these units was determined by particular law [law of a particular region or territory], i.e., allowing for differences from one diocese to another. In the diocese of Mainz a parish group may be several parishes merged under the leadership of a single pastor. The parishes retain their church and state church legal personality. The pastor is attached to a pastoral team and a pastoral council. Parish associations, however, are combinations of several parishes, each with its own pastor. Several parish groups can join to form a parochial associations.

== Catholic Education==
=== Catholic Private Schools===
[[File:St Martin Mainz.JPG|thumb|Modern stainless steel sculpture of St. Martin in front of the Martinus School Mainz in the old town of Mainz]]
The most important educational institution of the Diocese is the [[Catholic University of Applied Sciences, Mainz]]. Besides the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mainz and the (arch)dioceses of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne|Cologne]], [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Limburg|Limburg]], [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Speyer|Speyer]] and [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Trier|Trier]] belong to the initiators of this university .
There are also other schools as the Edith-Stein-Schule in Darmstadt, Liebfrauenschule in Bensheim, the Episcopal Willigis-Gymnasium in Mainz, Abendgymnasium Ketteler of Mainz and the Episcopal College Willigis secondary school in Mainz.

=== Facilities at state universities ===
The diocese maintains three facilities at state universities. The most important of them is the Catholic Theological Faculty at the [[University of Mainz]]. In addition, there are at [[University of Giessen]], the Institute for Catholic theology and their didactics, which is located at the Department of History and Cultural Studies. At the [[Technische Universität Darmstadt]] is an institute for theology and social ethics.

=== Bildungswerk der Diözese Mainz ===
The Bildungswerk der Diözese Mainz (educational works of the diocese of Mainz) promotes "... the church's adult education in the diocese from the parish to the diocesan level ..."  The Bildungswerk is also a member of the Catholic [[Adult Education]] Hesse - Regional Working Group.

=== Other educational institutions ===
* [[Institut für Kirchenmusik Mainz]]: training institution for catholic [[Church music]]ians

== Major churches ==
=== Cathedral and Major basilicas ===
* [[Mainz Cathedral]]
* [[Worms Cathedral]]
* [[Basilica of St. Martin, Bingen am Rhein]]
* [[Basilica of Sts. Marcellinus and Petrus, Seligenstadt]]
* [[Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Sts. Peter and Paul, Ilbenstadt]]

=== Other well-known churches ===
* [[St. Stephen's Church, Mainz]] with Chagall windows
* [[St. Ludwig, Darmstadt]], dome of Neoclassicism
* [[Collegiate church, Pfaffen-Schwabenheim]]
* [[Church of Our Lady, Worms]]
* [[Chapel of St. Roch, Bingen]]

== Liturgical calendar ==
[[File:Reliquienschrein in der Ostkrypta des Mainzer Doms.jpg|thumb|The reliquary shrine of the Mainz saints is located in the eastern crypt of Mainz cathedral. On the occacion of the recovery of the cathedral and the 25th bishop anniversary of Albert Stohr a reliquary as goldwork was donated depicting the 22 saints particularly venerated in the diocese of Mainz. As material gold-plated silver decorated with jewels had been chosen. Depicted are martyrs and bishops, priests, scholars and soldiers, confessors, virgins and widows, as listed left. The focus is on the diocese Saint St. Martin; the canonization of Hildegard von Bingen was anticipated. The shrine had been crafted by the Mainz goldsmith Richard Walker.]]
Local feasts of the diocese are:

* 5.&nbsp;January:[[John Neumann]], Redemptorist priest and fourth Bishop of Philadelphia 
* 4.&nbsp;February: [[Rabanus Maurus]], Frankish Benedictine monk, archbishop of Mainz
* 14.&nbsp;February: [[Saint Valentine|Valentine]], 3rd-century Christian martyr
* 23.&nbsp;February: [[Willigis]], Archbishop of Mainz and statesman of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]
* 27.&nbsp;April: [[Peter Canisius]], Jesuit priest who supported the Catholic faith during the Protestant Reformation in Germany
* 15.&nbsp;May: [[Rupert of Bingen]], patron saint of pilgrims
* 2.&nbsp;June: [[Marcellinus and Peter]], 4th-century Christian martyrs in Rome
* 5.&nbsp;June: [[Saint Boniface|Boniface]], leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the German parts of the Frankish Empire.
* 10.&nbsp;June: [[Bardo (bishop)|Bardo of Mainz]], presided over the Synod of Mainz in 1049 which denounced simony and priest marriage
* 21.&nbsp;June: [[Alban of Mainz]], priest, missionary, and martyr.
* 27.&nbsp;June: [[Creszenz]], [[Aureus (Mainz)|Aureus]], [[Theonest]] saints venerated by the Church of Mainz
* 4.&nbsp;July: anniversary of the consecration of Mainz cathedral
* 16.&nbsp;August: [[Saint Roch|Roch]], Christian saint, confessor, specially invoked against the plague
* 6.&nbsp;September: Anniversary of the consecration of churches who do not know the day of their consecration  	
* 17.&nbsp;September: [[Hildegard of Bingen]], writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, Benedictine abbess, visionary, and polymath. 
* 28.&nbsp;September: [[Leoba]], Anglo-Saxon nun who was part of Boniface's mission to the Germans
* 16.&nbsp;October: [[Lullus]], first permanent archbishop of Mainz, succeeding Saint Boniface
* 26.&nbsp;October: [[Amandus of Straßburg]], confessor, first bishop of Straßburg.
* 29.&nbsp;October: [[Ferrutius]], Roman soldier, martyr in [[Mogontiacum]]
* 11.&nbsp;November: [[Martin of Tours]], soldier, later Bishop of Tours
* 27.&nbsp;November: [[Bilihildis of Altmünster|Bilihildis]], Frankish noblewoman, founder and abbess of the monastery of Altmünster near Mainz

==List of Bishops==
For bishops and archbishops before 1802, see [[Elector_of_Mainz#Bishops_and_archbishops]]. 

*[[Joseph Ludwig Colmar]] (1802–1818)
*[[Joseph Vitus Burg]] (1829–1833)
*[[Johann Jakob Humann]] (1833–1834)
*[[Petrus Leopold Kaiser]] (1834–1848)
*[[Wilhelm Emmanuel Freiherr von Ketteler]] (1850–1877)
*''[[sede vacante]] (1877–1886)''
*[[Paul Leopold Haffner]] (1886–1899)
*[[Heinrich Brück]] (1900–1903)
*[[Georg Heinrich Kirstein]] (1903–1921)
*[[Ludwig Maria Hugo]] (1921–1935)
*[[Albert Stohr]] (1935–1961)
*[[Hermann Volk|Hermann Cardinal Volk]] (1962–1982)
*[[Karl Lehmann|Karl Cardinal Lehmann]] (1983–2016)
*[[Peter Kohlgraf]] (2017– ...)

=== Auxiliary bishops ===
====Archdiocese (to 1802)====
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
*Hermann, [[Order of Friars Minor|O.F.M.]] (1405–1450)
*[[Hermann von Gehrden]], [[Order of Preachers|O.P.]] (1432–1471)<ref name=CathHierHerVonGehr>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bgehrden.html "Bishop Hermann von Gehrden, O.P."] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 30, 2016</ref>
*[[Sigfried Piscator]], [[Order of Preachers|O.P.]] (1446–1455) and (1462–1473)<ref name=CathHierSigPis>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bpisc.html "Bishop Sigfried Piscator, O.P."] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 30, 2016</ref>
*[[Heinrich Hopfgarten]], [[Order of Saint Augustine|O.S.A.]] (1455–1460)<ref name=CathHierHeinHopf>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bhopfg.html "Bishop Heinrich Hopfgarten, O.S.A."] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 30, 2016</ref>
*[[Heinrich von Rübenach]], [[Order of Preachers|O.P.]] (1457–1493)<ref name=CathHierHeinVonRub>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/brube.html "Bishop Heinrich von Rübenach, O.P."] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 30, 2016</ref>
*[[Johannes Schulte]], [[Order of Saint Augustine|O.S.A.]] (1466–1489)<ref name=CathHierJohSchul>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bschulj.html "Bishop Johannes Schulte, O.S.A."] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 29, 2016</ref>
*[[Berthold von Oberg]], [[Order of Preachers|O.P.]] (1468–1489)<ref name=CathHierBertVonOb>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/boberb.html "Bishop Berthold von Oberg, O.P."] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved July 30, 2016</ref>
*[[Dionysius Part]], [[Order of Preachers|O.P.]] (1474–1475)<ref name=CathHierDioPart>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bdiony.html "Bishop Dionysius (Denys) Part, O.P."] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved August 1, 2016</ref>
*[[Matthias Emich]], [[O. Carm.]] (1476–1480)<ref name=CathHierMatEmich>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bemich.html "Bishop Matthias Emich, O. Carm."] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved August 1, 2016</ref>
*[[Georg Fabri]], [[Order of Preachers|O.P.]] (1490–1498)<ref name=CathHierGeoFab>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bfabrig.html "Bishop Georg Fabri, O.P."] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved August 3, 2016</ref>
*[[Erhard von Redwitz]], [[O. Cist.]] (1494–1502)<ref name=CathHierErVonRed>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bredwi.html "Bishop Erhard von Redwitz, O. Cist."] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved August 3, 2016</ref>
*[[Johannes Bonemilch]] (1497–1508)<ref name=CathHierJohBone>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbonem.html "Bishop Johannes Bonemilch"] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved August 3, 2016</ref>
*[[Thomas Ruscher]] (1502–1510)<ref name=CathHierThomRus>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbonem.html "Bishop Thomas Ruscher"] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved August 3, 2016</ref>
*[[Paul Huthen]] (1509–1532)<ref name=CathHierPaulHut>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bhuthen.html "Bishop Paul Huthen"] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved August 3, 2016</ref>
*[[Johannes Münster]] (1511–1537)<ref name=CathHierJohMunst>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bmunste.html "Bishop Johannes Münster"] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved August 3, 2016</ref>
*[[Maternus Pistor]] (1534)<ref name=CathHierMatPist>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bpistor.html "Bishop Maternus Pistor"] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved August 5, 2016</ref>
*[[Michael Helding]] (1538–1550)<ref name=CathHierMichHeld>[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bheld.html "Bishop Michael Helding"] ''[[Catholic-Hierarchy.org]]''. David M. Cheney. Retrieved August 5, 2016</ref>
*[[Georg Neumann (bishop)]] (1550–1551)
*[[Wolfgang Westermeyer]] (1551–1568)
*[[Balthasar Fannemann]] (Waneman) (1551–1561)
*[[Leonhard Zittardus]], [[Order of Preachers|O.P.]] (1563–1569)
*[[Stephan Weber]] (1570–1622)
*[[Nikolaus Elgard]] (1577–1587)
*[[Valentin Mohr]], [[Order of Saint Benedict|O.S.B.]] (1606–1608)
*[[Cornelius Gobelius]] (1609–1611)
*[[Christoph Weber]] (1615–1633)
*[[Ambrosius Seibaeus]] (Seybeus) (1623–1644)
*[[Wolther Heinrich von Strevesdorff]], [[O.E.S.A.]] (1634–1674)
*[[Berthold Nihus]] (1655–1657)
*[[Peter Walenburch]] (1658–1670)
*[[Johann Brassert]] (1674–1676)
*[[Adolph Gottfried Volusius]] (1676–1679)
*[[Johann Daniel von Gudenus]] (1680–1694)
*[[Matthias Starck]] (1681–1702)
*[[Johann Jakob Senfft]] (1695–1718)
*Johann Edmund Gedult von Jungenfeld (1703–1727)
*Johann Joachim Hahn (1718–1725)
*Christoph Ignaz von Gudenus (1726–1747)
*Caspar Adolph Schernauer (1728–Jun 1733)
*Christoph Nebel (1733–1769)
*Johann Friedrich von Lasser (1748–1769)
*Johann Georg Joseph von Eckart (1769–1792)
*Ludwig Philipp Behelm (1769–1777)
*August Franz von Strauß (Strauss) (1778–1782)
*Johann Valentin Heimes (1783–1806)
*Johann Maximilian von Haunold (1792–1807)
}}
====Diocese (1802–present)====
* Joseph Maria Reuß (Reuss) (1954–1978)
* [[Wolfgang Rolly]] (1972–2003)
* [[Franziskus Eisenbach]] (1988–2002)
* [[Werner Guballa]] (2003–2012)
* [[Ulrich Neymeyr]] (2003–2014)
* [[Udo Markus Bentz]] (2015– 2024)
* vacant

== See also ==
* [[List of Catholic dioceses in Germany]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Sources and external links ==
* [http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/main0.htm GCatholic ]
* {{CathEncy|wstitle=Mainz}}
; Literature 
* Stefan Burkhardt, ''Mit Stab und Schwert. Bilder, Träger und Funktionen erzbischöflicher Herrschaft zur Zeit Kaiser Friedrich Barbarossas. Die Erzbistümer Köln und Mainz im Vergleich.'' Thorbecke, Ostfildern, 2008
* Friedhelm Jürgensmeier: ''Das Bistum Mainz''. Von der Römerzeit bis zum II.&nbsp;Vatikanischen Konzil, Knecht Verlag, Frankfurt am Main, 1988, {{ISBN|3-7820-0570-8}}
* Hans Werner Nopper, ''Die vorbonifatianischen Mainzer Bischöfe.'' Mülheim, 2001
* Franz Usinger, ''Das Bistum Mainz unter französischer Herrschaft (1798–1814)''. Falk, Mainz, 1911
{{Hierarchy of the Catholic Church in Germany}}
{{Dioceses in Germany|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bishops of Mainz (1802-present)| ]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic dioceses in Germany|Mainz]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Mainz]]
[[Category:Christianity in Rhineland-Palatinate|Mainz diocese]]
[[Category:Christianity in Hesse|Mainz diocese]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic primates|Mainz]]