Suffragan Dioceses?

[slinky1882]

Hey,
I recently moved to the Diocese of Spokane, and when I was looking for information, I ran across this link:
catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dseat.html

What does it mean when it says that the Diocese of Spokane is a Suffragan of the Archdiocese of Seattle??? Thanks and God Bless.

 

[1ke]

It is a diocese within the Archdiocesan territory. Several dioceses are grouped in an ecclesiastical province and are subject to the authority of the metropolitan archbishop.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

1ke:

It is a diocese within the Archdiocesan territory. Several dioceses are grouped in an ecclesiastical province and are subject to the authority of the metropolitan archbishop.

This is a very complicated relationship because it is not like the Archbishop runs the Suffargan Diocese through the Bishop, but that each Bishop is in control of his specific diocese. However in matters of Canon Law like Annulments the Archdiocese is the court of second instance. The Bishops gather for councils and collaboration with each other because they have something in common.

 

[slinky1882]

Thanks, but could you expand at all on other components of this relationship??? What are the traditions behind the idea of a suffragan diocese??? Thanks and God Bless.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

slinky1882:

Thanks, but could you expand at all on other components of this relationship??? What are the traditions behind the idea of a suffragan diocese??? Thanks and God Bless.

Just a guess here but it would have to do I think with the dividing up of territory. At one time there was only one diocese for instance in the U.S. This was divided over time into other diocese.