The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Barcelona, officially known as the Archidioecesis Barcinonensis, is a significant religious institution in the Catalonia region of northeastern Spain. The archdiocese is centered around the Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia, Barcelona, which holds the status of a Minor Basilica. In addition to the cathedral, the archdiocese has nine more Minor Basilicas.
The current Archbishop of Barcelona is Juan José Omella Omella, who was appointed by Pope Francis on November 6, 2015. Within the ecclesiastical province of Barcelona, there are two suffragan sees: the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sant Feliu de Llobregat and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Terrassa.
As of 2014, the archdiocese served approximately 2,116,479 Catholics, accounting for 79.7% of the total population of 2,657,000 in the area. The pastoral care is carried out in 214 parishes and 153 missions, with the assistance of 826 priests (396 diocesan and 430 religious), 46 deacons, 3,092 lay religious (639 brothers and 2,453 sisters), and 19 seminarians.
While there are claims of the diocese dating back to the time of the apostles, historical evidence primarily supports its existence from the third century onwards. Barcelona was one of the fourteen dioceses of the ecclesiastical province of Tarragona during the Visigothic Kingdom. In the fifth century, it temporarily lost territory to establish the Diocese of Egara but regained it later. After the Christian fall in 712, a long period of sede vacante, meaning a vacant see, ended with the appointment of Bishop Joan in 850. At this time, the diocese became subordinated to the Carolingian See of Narbonne.
During the Reconquista, Bishop Oleguer assumed the archiepiscopal seat of Tarragona in 1017 while maintaining his position in Barcelona. Barcelona then became suffragan to Tarragona once again. In 1237, it lost its Balearic territory to establish the Diocese of Mallorca. Throughout the Middle Ages, the bishops often resided in pontifical or royal courts rather than in the city itself. Bishop Jaume Caçador introduced reforms according to the Council of Trent in the 16th century.
Except for a period of sede vacante from 1808 to 1814 during the Napoleonic Wars, Barcelona and its diocese continued to grow in wealth and influence. On March 25, 1964, Pope Paul VI elevated the Diocese to the level of a non-Metropolitan Archdiocese. However, it only gained the status of a Metropolitan Archdiocese in 2004 when Pope John Paul II divided its territory into the Archdiocese of Barcelona and the suffragan sees of Sant Feliu de Llobregat and Terrassa, appointing Archbishop Sistach.
The Archdiocese of Barcelona has seen important visits from Pope John Paul II in February 1982 and Pope Benedict XVI in November 2010. Throughout its history, the source of the diocese's bishops can be traced back to apostolic times, as documented in various catalogs. These catalogs, though not entirely authentic, have preserved the names of numerous bishops who played significant roles in the diocese's development.
