Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussel {Malines-Brussels}

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Bishop(s) Godfried Danneels, Cardinal, Archbishop Jan De Bie, Auxiliary Bishop Josef De Kesel, Auxiliary Bishop Rémy Victor Vancottem, Auxiliary Bishop Luc Alfons De Hovre, S.J., Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Paul Lanneau, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Suffragan Dioceses Antwerpen {Antwerp} Brugge {Bruges} Gent {Ghent, Gand} Hasselt Liège Namur {Namen} Tournai {Doornik}

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Archdiocese Name Changed: 8 December 1961 Metropolitan See Rite: Latin (or Roman) Country: Belgium Square Kilometers: 3,700 (1,429 Square Miles) Mailing Address: Wollemarkt 15, B-2800 Mechelen, Belgie Telephone: (015)29.26.28 Fax: 20.94.85

Historical Details

• Archdiocese of Mechelen
  • Latin Name: Mechliniensis
  • Erected: 12 May 1559
  • Metropolitan See
  • Country: Belgium

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• Antoine Perrenot de Granvella † (10 Mar 1561 Appointed - 3 Oct 1578 Appointed, Bishop of Sabina e Poggio Mirteto)
• Alphonse de Berghes † ( 1670 Appointed - 7 Jun 1689 Died)
• Humbertus Guilielmus de Precipiano † (12 Jul 1689 Appointed - 9 Jun 1711 Died)
• Thomas Philip Wallrad d'Alsace-Boussut de Chimay † (16 Dec 1715 Appointed - 5 Jan 1759 Died)
• Joannes-Henricus von Frankenberg † (28 May 1759 Appointed - 20 Nov 1801 Resigned)
• Jean-Armand de Bessuéjouls Roquelaure † (9 Apr 1802 Appointed - 1 Mar 1808 Retired)
• Dominique-Georges-Frédéric Dufour de Pradt † (12 May 1808 Appointed - 1815 Resigned)
• François Antoine Marie Constantin de Méan et de Beaurieux † (28 Jul 1817 Appointed - 15 Jan 1831 Died)
• Engelbert Sterckx † (24 Feb 1832 Appointed - 4 Dec 1867 Died)
• Victor-Auguste-Isidore Dechamps, C.SS.R. † (20 Dec 1867 Appointed - 29 Sep 1883 Died)
• Pierre-Lambert Goosens † (24 Mar 1884 Appointed - 25 Jan 1906 Died)
• Desiré-Félicien-François-Joseph Mercier † (7 Feb 1906 Appointed - 23 Jan 1926 Died)
• Jozef-Ernest van Roey † (12 Mar 1926 Appointed - 6 Aug 1961 Died)
• Leo Jozef Suenens † (24 Nov 1961 Appointed - 4 Oct 1979 Retired)
• Godfried Danneels (19 Dec 1979 Appointed - )

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Archdiocese of Mechelen
12 May 1559	Erected		Archdiocese of Mechelen (erected)
8 December 1961	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Mechelen	Diocese of Antwerpen {Antwerp} (erected)
Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussel {Malines-Brussels}
8 December 1961	Name Changed	Archdiocese of Mechelen	Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussel {Malines-Brussels}

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Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Archdiocese of Mechelen
1950		3,093,819	.0%	3,186	2,129	5,315	0		4,546	16,202	895	ap1951
Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussel {Malines-Brussels}
1969		2,326,496	.0%	1,925		1,925	0			6,780	658	ap1971
1980	2,278,000	2,504,000	91.0%	1,554	1,987	3,541	643	68	2,408	6,474	657	ap1981
1990	2,000,000	2,373,526	84.3%	1,273	1,240	2,513	795	89	1,778	4,965	687	ap1991
1999	1,600,000	2,470,918	64.8%	1,067	1,149	2,216	722	95	1,586	3,750	677	ap2000
2000	1,800,000	2,500,000	72.0%	1,022	1,143	2,165	831	105	1,654	3,534	677	ap2001
2001	1,800,000	2,514,185	71.6%	977	1,143	2,120	849	101	1,528	3,380	677	ap2002
2002	1,600,000	2,513,783	63.6%	934	1,142	2,076	770	105	1,525	3,274	677	ap2003
2003	1,600,000	2,508,873	63.8%	911	1,142	2,053	779	100	1,477	3,139	677	ap2004
2004	1,600,000	2,500,000	64.0%	892	1,142	2,034	786	98	1,452	2,972	678	ap2005

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

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Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Godfried Danneels (Archbishop: 19 Dec 1979 - )
• Jan De Bie (Auxiliary Bishop: 13 Mar 1987)
• Luc Alfons De Hovre, S.J. (Auxiliary Bishop: 15 Feb 1982 to 20 Mar 2002)
• Josef De Kesel (Auxiliary Bishop: 20 Mar 2002)
• Paul Lanneau (Priest: 24 Jul 1949; Auxiliary Bishop: 14 Feb 1982 to 20 Mar 2002)
• Rémy Victor Vancottem (Priest: 27 Jun 1969; Auxiliary Bishop: 15 Feb 1982)

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Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• Carlo Andrea Anthonis † (Auxiliary Bishop: 16 Mar 1868 to 1893)
• Alphonse de Berghes † (Archbishop: 1670 to 7 Jun 1689)
• Jean-Armand de Bessuéjouls Roquelaure † (Archbishop: 9 Apr 1802 to 1 Mar 1808)
• Joseph-Léon Cardijn † (Priest: 22 Sep 1906 to 15 Feb 1965)
• Stefano Carton de Wiart † (Auxiliary Bishop: 16 Jun 1934 to 8 Jul 1945)
• Thomas Philip Wallrad d'Alsace-Boussut de Chimay † (Archbishop: 16 Dec 1715 to 5 Jan 1759)
• Victor-Auguste-Isidore Dechamps, C.SS.R. † (Archbishop: 20 Dec 1867 to 29 Sep 1883)
• Maximilien de Fürstenberg † (Priest: 9 Aug 1931 to 8 Mar 1949)
• Emiel-Jozef De Smedt † (Auxiliary Bishop: 16 May 1950 to 31 Jul 1952)
• Dominique-Georges-Frédéric Dufour de Pradt † (Archbishop: 12 May 1808 to 1815)
• Joannes-Henricus von Frankenberg † (Archbishop: 28 May 1759 to 20 Nov 1801)
• Pierre-Lambert Goosens † (Archbishop: 24 Mar 1884 to 25 Jan 1906)
• Antoine Perrenot de Granvella † (Archbishop: 10 Mar 1561 to 3 Oct 1578)
• Ludovico Giuseppe Legraive † (Priest: 19 Sep 1885; Auxiliary Bishop: 17 Oct 1907 to 1941)
• François Antoine Marie Constantin de Méan et de Beaurieux † (Archbishop: 28 Jul 1817 to 15 Jan 1831)
• Desiré-Félicien-François-Joseph Mercier † (Priest: 4 Apr 1874; Archbishop: 7 Feb 1906 to 23 Jan 1926)
• Christoph Bartholomäus Anton Graf Migazzi † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 20 Sep 1751 to 28 Aug 1756)
• Humbertus Guilielmus de Precipiano † (Archbishop: 12 Jul 1689 to 9 Jun 1711)
• Paul Constant Schoenmaekers † (Auxiliary Bishop: 8 Sep 1952 to 8 Jan 1986)
• Engelbert Sterckx † (Priest: 18 Feb 1815; Archbishop: 24 Feb 1832 to 4 Dec 1867)
• Leo Jozef Suenens † (Priest: 4 Sep 1927; Auxiliary Bishop: 12 Nov 1945; Archbishop: 24 Nov 1961 to 4 Oct 1979)
• Joannes van Cauwenbergh † (Priest: 20 Sep 1902; Auxiliary Bishop: 19 Dec 1930 to 14 Apr 1950)
• Victor-Jean-Joseph-Marie van den Branden de Reeth † (Auxiliary Bishop: 12 Nov 1879)
• Joseph van der Stappen † (Auxiliary Bishop: 15 Jun 1893)
• Jozef-Ernest van Roey † (Priest: 18 Sep 1897; Archbishop: 12 Mar 1926 to 6 Aug 1961)
• Honoré Marie Van Waeyenbergh † (Auxiliary Bishop: 1 Sep 1954 to 19 Jul 1971)
• Antoine Alphonse de Wachter † (Priest: 20 Sep 1879; Auxiliary Bishop: 21 Jun 1909 to 15 Nov 1932)