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| Archdiocese of Reggio Calabria-Bova | |
|---|---|
| Name | Archdiocese of Reggio Calabria-Bova |
| Latin | Archidioecesis Rheginensis-Bovensis |
| Country | Italy |
| Province | Reggio Calabria-Bova |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 1st millennium |
| Cathedral | Reggio Calabria Cathedral |
| Co cathedral | Bova Cathedral |
Archdiocese of Reggio Calabria-Bova is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory of the Catholic Church in Calabria, Italy, with ancient roots in late antiquity tied to Byzantine, Norman, and Angevin periods. Located in the toe of the Italian peninsula, it has interacted with institutions such as the Holy See, the Kingdom of Naples, and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and figures including Pope Gregory I, Pope Urban II, and Pope Pius XII. The archdiocese's development reflects contacts with the Byzantine Empire, the Norman conquest of southern Italy, and modern Italian statehood, including the Unification of Italy and the Lateran Treaty.
The ecclesiastical origins trace to late Roman and early Byzantine administration, with early bishops participating in councils alongside delegates of Pope Gregory I and authorities from Constantinople. During the Byzantine Iconoclasm era and the Saracen raids of the 9th century, the local church adapted within the context of interactions with the Catapanate of Italy and later the Norman conquest of southern Italy, when Norman rulers like Roger II of Sicily reorganized diocesan structures. Under the Hohenstaufen dynasty and the House of Anjou, the archdiocese engaged with papal reforms promoted by Pope Urban II and later Pope Innocent III, while the Renaissance and Baroque centuries saw patronage from noble families tied to the Kingdom of Naples and cultural exchange with Rome, Florence, and the Kingdom of Sicily. In the modern era, bishops cooperated with Italian governments through events including the Risorgimento and the Lateran Treaty, and responded to social change during the pontificates of Pope Pius IX, Pope Leo XIII, and Pope John Paul II.
The archdiocese occupies territory in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria and the Aspromonte massif, encompassing municipalities such as Reggio Calabria, Bova, Melito di Porto Salvo, Scilla, and Gioia Tauro. Its coastal position on the Strait of Messina links it to maritime routes toward Sicily, Messina, and the wider Mediterranean, including contact with ports like Catania and Naples. The ecclesiastical province includes suffragan dioceses historically interacting with Catanzaro-Squillace, Lipari, and Nicotera-Tropea, and borders regions influenced by the Calabrian Greek heritage and migrations from Greece and Byzantium.
The archiepiscopal seat is the Reggio Calabria Cathedral (Duomo of Reggio), a structure rebuilt after earthquakes that recalls influences from Norman architecture, Baroque architecture, and the work of architects connected to Papal States commissions. The co-cathedral at Bova Cathedral preserves elements of Byzantine liturgical arrangement and links to the Greco-Byzantine rite heritage observed in nearby parishes. Artistic patrimony includes altarpieces and reliquaries comparable to collections in St. Peter's Basilica, Naples Cathedral, and works by artists associated with the Counter-Reformation and the Roman Accademia di San Luca.
Governance follows canonical norms promulgated in documents associated with Pope Pius X and the Codex Iuris Canonici, with diocesan curial offices such as the vicar general, chancellor, and tribunal analogous to structures in the Archdiocese of Naples and the Archdiocese of Milan. The archdiocese has implemented pastoral plans influenced by directives from Vatican II and the Congregation for Bishops, coordinating with regional bodies like the Italian Episcopal Conference and provincial counterparts including the Archdiocese of Catanzaro-Squillace.
Notable prelates include early bishops documented alongside papal correspondence with Pope Gregory I, medieval figures active during the Council of Trent era, and modern ordinaries who engaged with social questions during the pontificates of Pope Pius XII, Pope Paul VI, and Pope John Paul II. The line of ordinaries intersected with noble houses and clerical reforms associated with Cardinal Cesare Baronio-era historiography and later with curial initiatives from the Holy See.
The archdiocese primarily observes the Roman Rite while some communities retain elements of the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church and the Byzantine Rite traditions linked to Greco-Albanian settlements. Parochial life spans urban parishes in Reggio Calabria to mountain parishes in the Aspromonte, with devotional practices centered on feasts like Holy Week processions, Marian festivals honoring Our Lady of Consolation and local patron saints, and liturgical music influenced by traditions documented in archives similar to those of Santa Maria del Fiore and San Giovanni in Laterano.
The archdiocese has been a center for Calabrian identity, interacting with cultural currents from Byzantium, the Normans, the Angevins, and the Spanish Habsburgs, contributing to architecture, manuscript production, and devotional art found in collections comparable to Vatican Library holdings. It has influenced migration patterns to Argentina, Australia, and United States destinations, and figures from the region have participated in broader Italian and ecclesiastical life, connecting to movements such as the Counter-Reformation and modern Catholic social teaching advanced by Pope Leo XIII and Pope Benedict XVI.
Category:Roman Catholic dioceses in Italy Category:Religion in Calabria