BABYLONIA OF THE LATINS. - B. is currently the title of the archbishop of the Latin see (Babilonensis Latinorum), immediately subject, who resides in Baghdad. At first it was a simple bishopric, whose episcopal series begins in 1632, when Urban VIII, granting the request of the shah, established in the capital Ispahan an episcopal see for the numerous Latin Catholics existing in Persia.

Some time later a pious woman of Meaux, Maria Riconard, made a gift to the Pontiff of 6000 Spanish doubloons (about 125,000 gold lire) for the creation of a bishopric in the infidel lands, on condition that she could present the first incumbent and that his successors should always be French. With the bull Super universes of 6 June 1638, Urban VIII assigned such foundation to the bishop of B., or Baghdad, with the obligation of residence for the incumbents, who were all to be of French nationality (R. de Martiria, Iuris Pontificii de Propaganda Fide, I, Rome 1888, pp. 174-175). From 1773 a gap is noted in the series of incumbents, who reappear in 1820 following the reorganization of the diocese that took place in 1818.

On 19 Sept. 1848 the diocese, which numbers a few thousand faithful, was erected into an archbishopric (v. BAGDAD).

Bibliography

BIBL.: R. Janin, Bagdad, in DHG. VI, col. 199.

Alberto Galietti

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Babylonia of the Latins

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