Roman Catholic Diocese of Varanasi

Diocese of Varanasi

*Dioecesis Varanasiensis*

वाराणसी के सूबा
Diocese of Varanasi; Dioecesis Varanasiensis; वाराणसी के सूबा
	St. Mary's Cathedral, Varanasi
Location
Country	India
Ecclesiastical province	Agra
Metropolitan	Agra
Statistics
Area	21,395 km2 (8,261 sq mi)
Population Total; Catholics;	(as of 2010); 20,328,000; 18,259 (0.1%);
Information
Rite	Latin Rite
Cathedral	St Mary's Cathedral in Varanasi
Patron saint	John the Baptist, Fidelis of Sigmaringen
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Bishop	Eugene Joseph
Metropolitan Archbishop	Albert D'Souza
Bishops emeritus	Patrick Paul D'Souza
Map
Website
	Website of the Diocese

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Varanasi (Latin: Varanasien[sis]) is a Latin suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of Agra in northern India's vast state Uttar Pradesh. Its cathedral episcopal see is St. Mary's Cathedral in the city of Varanasi.

History

Established on 11 July 1946 as Apostolic Prefecture of Gorakhpur, on territory split off from the Diocese of Allahabad, exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See
17 September 1958: Renamed as Apostolic Prefecture of Benares-Gorakhpur
Promoted on 5 June 1970 as Diocese of Banaras (Benares), losing its exempt status by becoming a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Agra
14 May 1971: Renamed as Diocese of Varanasi (as the city had changed its name).

(all Latin, Roman Rite)

Father Joseph Emil Malenfant, OFMCap (6 June 1947 – 17 September 1958 see below)

Patrick Paul D'Souza (see above 14 May 1971 – 24 February 2007), Vice-President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (1996 – 1998)
Raphy Manjaly (24 February 2007 – 2013.10.17), later Bishop of Allahabad (India, in the same province) (2013.10.17 – ...)
Eugene Joseph (2015.05.30 – ...)