Roman Catholic Diocese of Oran

Set in Algeria Oran diocese (Latin: Dioecesis Oranensis ) was established on 25 July 1866 and has its headquarters in Oran El Maqqari. It belongs to the Ecclesiastical Province of Algiers.

The 77,353 km ² large diocese counted 355,000 believers in 1950, 10,000 in 1980 and 1990 was 7,000. Today there are still only 400 Catholics in a population of 7,500,000 people in this region. With seven diocesan priests (1950 there were 103 ), 12 religious priests and 51 nuns (1950 there were 390), in 7 parishes (1950 there were 102), the number of members of the Order has declined significantly since decades. The departure of the French occupation resulted in the diocese to a profound restructuring, as in the other dioceses in Algeria as well. Is not without interest that most bishops were always diocesan priests.

On 1 August 1996, the then Bishop of Oran Pierre Claverie was killed at the entrance of his episcopal church. The attack had triggered widespread concern, sadness and outrage around the world. Claverie is considered one of the great pioneers of the Christian-Islamic dialogue. The bishop had previously participated with the then French Foreign Minister Herve de Charette in the Trappist monastery Tibhirine a memorial service for the seven monks who had been deported first in May 1996 to today suspicious circumstances and then brutally beheaded. The Roman Catholic Church in Algeria, has initiated a process of beatification for the seven monks of Tibhirine and twelve other religious, who were killed in the Algerian civil war.

To date, the monastery Tibhirine is orphaned. A circle of friends will take care of the house and grounds. Although decided by the General Chapter of the Trappists in 1996 to maintain a community in Algeria. In a survey to himself reported eleven volunteers, six of which should be sent to Tibhirine. In the Holy Year 2000 Trappist celebrated from the convents in Fez and Algiers, the Kar and Easter days in Tibhirne. During this time, piled up in the area of Medea violent attacks. A continuation of the monastic life on site appears too risky at the moment.

Bishops

• Jean -Baptiste- Irenee Callot (1867-1875)
• Louis -Joseph -Marie -Ange Vigne (1876-1880)
• Pierre -Marie- Etienne- Gustave Ardin (1880-1884)
• Noël- Mathieu -Victor -Marie Gaussail (1884-1886)
• Geraud -Marie Soubrier (1886-1898)
• Édouard -Adolphe Cantel (1898-1910)
• Pierre- Firmin Capmartin (1911-1914)
• Christophe- Louis Legasse (1915-1920)
• Léon- Auguste -Marie -Joseph Durand (1920-1945)
• Bertrand Lacaste (1945-1972)
• Henri Antoine Marie Teissier (1972-1980)
• Pierre Lucien Claverie OP (1981-1996)
• Alphonse Georger (1998-2012)
• Jean -Paul Vesco OP ( since 2012 )