The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Shkodër-Pult is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 in Albania

Albania

Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...

. The archdiocese has two suffragans, the Diocese of Lezhë

Roman Catholic Diocese of Lezhë

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lezhë is a diocese located in the city of Lezhë in the Ecclesiastical province of Shkodër–Pult in Albania.-Leadership:* Bishops of Lezhë ** Bishop Ottavio Vitale, R.C.J....

, and the Diocese of Sapë.

History

Historically it was known as Scutari

Scutari

Scutari may refer to:*Üsküdar , in Anatolia, Turkey*Scutari Barracks in Üsküdar; former hospital where Florence Nightingale worked*Shkodër, in Albania; also known as Scutari in antiquity...

. The first known bishop was Bassus (387).

The bishops of Scutari were at first subject to the Metropolitan of Salonica, Primate of all Illyricum

Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum

The praetorian prefecture of Illyricum was one of four praetorian prefectures into which the Late Roman Empire was divided.The administrative centre of the prefecture was Sirmium , and, after 379, Thessalonica...

, but when Justinian I

Justinian I

Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...

 transferred the primacy, they became suffragans of the archdiocese of Achrida. In the early Middle Ages Scutari was suffragan of the Archdiocese of Dioclea

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bar

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bar is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Montenegro. It is centred in the city of Bar . It was erected as a diocese in the 9th century and elevated to an archdiocese in 1089...

. From 1063 to 1886 53 bishops of Scutari are known (none to the middle of the twelfth century).

In 1867 Scutari was aeque principaliter

Aeque principaliter

Aeque principaliter is a Latin term used by the Roman Catholic Church to indicate a merger of two or more dioceses in which - to avoid questions of predominance - the dioceses are all given equal importance...

united with the Archdiocese of Antivari, and in this way Pope Pius IX

Pope Pius IX

Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...

 made Scutari an archdiocese and metropolis. The first archbishop of the united diocese, Mgr. Karl Pooten, native of Teveren near Geilenkirchen

Geilenkirchen

Geilenkirchen is a town in the district Heinsberg, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated near the border with the Netherlands, on the river Wurm, approx. 15 km north-east of Heerlen and 20 km north of Aachen....

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, who had been Apostolic Administrator of Antivari (1834–1855), died at Scutari on 15 January 1886.

On 23 October 1886, the Archdiocese of Scutari was separated from that of Antivari, and remained an archdiocese and a metropolis with three suffragans: the diocese of Alessio

Roman Catholic Diocese of Lezhë

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lezhë is a diocese located in the city of Lezhë in the Ecclesiastical province of Shkodër–Pult in Albania.-Leadership:* Bishops of Lezhë ** Bishop Ottavio Vitale, R.C.J....

, diocese of Sappa, and diocese of Pulati.

The ancient diocese of Ulcinium (Ulcinj, Dulcigno), in the territory of Scutari, was, in 1571, occupied by the Turks and ceased to exist. Its bishops were suffragans of the Archbishop of Antivari. During the middle of the sixteenth century, the diocese of Suacium (Svač, Šas) was forever suppressed. Other ancient sees in this territory were the diocese of Dinnastrum and diocese of Balazum.

Ordinaries

Bishops of Scutari

• Bassus (387)
• Senecion (431)
• Andrew (519)
• Stephen (590)
• John (Ioannes Scoritan) (598)
• Constantine (601)

----

• George I (1141)
• Peter I (Peter of Svač) (1199)
• Anonymous (1251)
• Stephen (Shtjefën Marini/Marin Žaretić?) (1303)
• Peter II (ca. 1325)
• Marcus I (1346)
• Marinus I
• Antin de Seluciis (1367)
• Francis I (1388)
• Henry (ca. 1390)
• Andruin (1396)
• Christopher (1401)
• Meliorin (1401)
• Progan (1402)
• John I (1407)
• Emmanuel (Emanueli de Kandja) (1451)
• Emmanuel II (1459)
• Thaddeus (Tade Paskalika) (1465)
• Bartholomew (Bartolome Barbarigo) (1467)
• Francis II (Francesco de Sanctis) (1471–1491)
• Nicholas (Nicola Lupus) (1492)
• Nicholas II (Nikollë Gravina) (1495)
• Jacob (Jacob of Noto) (1511)
• Peter II (Pietro de Gardona) (1518)
• Jerome (Geronimo de Carpo) (1522)
• Anthony I (Anton Baccaria) (1524–1543)
• Melchiorre Pelletta (1570)
• Theodore (Theodor Kalompsi) (1571)
• Paul I (1582)
• Duka (Duka Armani) (1590)
• Andrew I
• Dominic I (Dominik Andrijašević / Dominicus Andriasius) (1622–1626)
• Benedict (Benedikt Ursini) (1626 - ????)
• Francis III (Françesku Kruta) (1640)
• Gregory (Gregorio Frassina de Novara) (1646)
• Peter III (Pjetër Bogdani
  Pjetër Bogdani
  Pjetër Bogdani , known in Italian as Pietro Bogdano, is the most original writer of early literature in Albania. He is author of the Cuneus Prophetarum , 1685, the first prose work of substance written originally in Albanian Pjetër Bogdani (ca. 1630 - 1689), known in Italian as Pietro Bogdano, is...
  
  ) (1656–1671)
• Dominic II (Dominik Babić/Bobić) (1677–1686)
• Andrew II (Andrea Gallata) (1686–1690)
• Marinus II (Marin Grago) (1690–1691)
• Anthony II (Anton/Ndoc Vlladanji) (13 August 1691 - 1693)
• Anthony III (Anton Nigri/Negri / Antonius de Nigris) (1693–1702)
• Anthony IV (Anton/Ndoc Vlladanji) (1702–1740)
• Paul II (Paolo Campsinato di Pietro / Pal Kampsi) (25 May 1742 - 1771)
• George II (Gjergj Radovani
  Gjergj Radovani
  Gjergj Radovani was an Albanian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.- Life :Born in Shkodër, northern Albania in 1734 from 1767 to 1771 he served as the apostolic vicar of the Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv. In 1771 he was ordained as Bishop of Shkodër. During his tenure he founded the diocese's...
  
  ) (29 July 1771 - 23 April 1787)
• Francis IV (Francesco Borzi) (23 April 1787 - 11 April 1791)
• Matthew (Matteo Crescesi) (11 April 1791 - ????)
• Benigno Albertini (13 April 1832 - ????)
• Loius I (Luigi Guglielmi) (24 September 1839 - ????)
• John II (Gjon Topiq) (27 September 1853 - ????)
• Louis II (Luigi Ciurcia) (6 February 1859 - 27 July 1866)

Archbishops of Scutari

• Charles (Karl Pooten) (15 March 1867 - 1886)
• Pascal (Pasquale Guerini) (23 November 1886 - 1910)
• Jacob (Jak(ë) Serreqi) (14 April 1910 - 1921)
• Lazarus (Llazar Mjeda) (19 October 1921 - 8 Jul 1935)
• Gaspar (Gaspër Thaçi) (27 January 1936 - 25 May 1946)
• Francis (Frano Illia) (25 December 1992 - 22 Oct 1997)
• Angel (Angelo Massafra) (28 March 1998–Present)