SAPPA, Diocese of. - In northern Albania, suffragan of Scutari. It was erected in 1062 (?) by Alexander II.

The first bishop of whom there is certain record is Paul in 1376. In 1428 Martin V united the small diocese of Dagno (certainly in existence since 1361) with that of Sarda (in existence at least since 1199). Innocent VIII then united in 1491 the two dioceses of Sarda and Dagno with that of S., making it a suffragan of Antivari. On 22 April 1887 it passed to that of Scutari. In 1643 Propaganda established an apostolic vicariate there and by decree of 23 February 1644 transferred to it the archbishop of Antivari, after whom the diocese was always governed by bishops. The most celebrated bishop of S. was George III Blanco (1623-35, 1644-47), who freed his homeland from the Turks. By decree of 24 June 1930 the residence was transferred from Nenshati to Laci. The diocese depends on the S. Congr. de Propaganda Fide and is currently without a pastor. Because of the present conditions of Albania it is impossible to have exact statistical data.

In 1940, over an area of 1270 sq km, there lived about 16,000 Catholics assisted by 27 secular priests and 7 Franciscans.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: D. Farlati-J. Coleti, Illyrium Sacrum, VII, Venezia 1819, pp. 229-32, 271-91; B. Gams, Series episcoporum Eccles. Cathol., 2nd ed., Lipsia 1931, pp. 405-406, 415-16; MC, Roma 1950, p. 73.

Nicola Kowalsky

@incollection{ec10_sappa_diocesi_di, author = {Kowalsky, Nicola}, title = {Sappa, diocesi di}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {X}, pages = {1897}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1953}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/sappa-diocesi-di} }

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Sappa, Diocese of

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