GIBRALTAR. – A rocky peninsula that closes the Bay of Algeciras to the east, at the southernmost tip of Spain, barring the entrance to the Mediterranean.
So called (Gebel at-Tāriq, “Mount of Tāriq”) in memory of the leader who in 711 guided the Arabs into Spain, it was conquered in 1704 by the English, who made it into a fortified stronghold. As a military colony it is governed by the commander of the garrison (the governor), assisted by an executive council of seven members. The isthmian zone between Gibraltar and Spain (0.81 sq km) is neutral territory.
On 5 sq km lives a civilian population of 22,532 (1948), Spanish-speaking and Catholic. The port is a much-frequented stop for merchant ships.
Giuseppe Caraci
THE DIOCESE OF G. – The peninsula of Gibraltar received its first evangelization with the Spanish conquest (1492). In a short time the Catholic religion took firm root and the parish of Santa Maria Coronada was founded, placed under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Cádiz. After the English occupation (1704), the inhabitants left the territory almost en masse, Catholic worship was forbidden, and ecclesiastical property passed to the Protestants.
In 1771 the Inquisitor established, for religious governance, a commission of seniores that remained in office for several years, preventing any Catholic initiatives. In 1866, since the Bishop of Cádiz could not provide for the spiritual care of the faithful on the peninsula, the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide appointed directly as parish priest of the territory the Rev. Isidoro Domínguez, who attended to the spiritual needs of the new colonists, mostly Genoese, brought in by the English. In 1817 the apostolic vicariate of Gibraltar was erected; it became a diocese on 19 November 1910 and was entrusted to the Benedictine Fathers of the Primitive Observance. The territory of this ordinary comprises the entire peninsula, with an area of 5.62 sq km. There are 20,246 Catholics, most of Italian origin; others are Spanish, and others still of English and Irish descent. The total population is 23,868, of whom 886 are Jews, about 5,082 Protestants, and about one hundred Muslims. The English government shows tolerance toward Catholics. The clergy consists of six local priests and one foreigner. There are also some Brothers of the Christian Schools and the Sisters of Loreto. The diocese has two parishes, five primary stations with three churches and three chapels. Catholic schools are divided into eight elementary, three secondary, and two vocational schools. There are two orphanages and two homes for the elderly.