Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Shkodër-Pult
The Archdiocese of Shkodër -Pult (Latin: Archidioecesis Scodrensis - Pulatensis ) is a location in Albany Roman Catholic archdiocese based in Shkodra.
History
Shkodra existed as a diocese probably already in the 4th century. Like many other dioceses in South Eastern Europe, it is set in the time of the Slavic conquest of the Balkans and was rebuilt in the Middle Ages. Beginning of the 16th century came the diocese territory under Ottoman rule. In the following years, the greater part of the population turned to Islam. Catholics was only allowed restricted the exercise of their religion. 1867 Shkodra was solved by the Metropolis Bar and raised to an archbishopric. Report to him the suffragan Lezha, Sapa and Rrëshen. The ecclesiastical province comprises the northern third of Albania, and thus all those regions where Catholicism was widely used until the Albanian religious ban of 1967.
After Pastor Simon Jubani was celebrated in November 1990 the first public exhibition of the lifting of the ban religion, the Holy See hastened to rebuild the church structures of the Archdiocese. In 1991, the Catholics regained the Cathedral in Shkodra, which had been converted during the communist dictatorship in a sports hall. 1992 Franco Illia was appointed archbishop; episcopal ordination was donated to him by Pope John Paul II, in his pastoral visit to Albania. The Jesuits opened again her seminary, which had existed before the Second World War; the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Franciscans renewed their religious houses. There were also new religious orders, such as the Missionaries of Charity Mother Teresa. Meanwhile Shkodra is again the center of Catholic life in Albania. In 1998 the diocese was annexed to the archbishopric desk and it was renamed in Shkodra desk. In the same year Angelo Massafra OFM was appointed Archbishop of Shkodra.
Bishop Pjetër Bogdani († 1689) was one of the most important writers of the early Albanian literature. He wrote the cuneus Prophetarum, a collection of didactic poetry and prose to biblical themes. Famous vicar general (1936-1945) and subsequent cardinal deacon (from 1994) was Mikel Koliqi who has held during the decades of Communist persecution faithful to his church.