Russian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Russia
The Russian Catholic Apostolic Exarchate of Russia is the sui iuris Eastern Catholic jurisdiction of the Catholic church for Russian language Byzantine Rite pastoral in Russia.
It is one of only two components of the Russian Catholic Church, its only sister being the Russian Apostolic Exarchate of Harbin in China, but both are vacant for decades.
History
It was established as an apostolic exarchate (Eastern Catholic equivalent of a vicar apostolic; hence exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See, not part of any ecclesiastcila province) in 1917 on territory previously exclusively belonging to the Latin Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mohilev.
Ordinaries
It is vacant since 1951, having had only two incumbents, both belonging to the Ukrainian Studite Monks (M.S.U., a Ukrainian Catholic Church monastic order) :
- Blessed Leontiy Leonid Feodorov, M.S.U. (1917.05.28 – 1935.03.07)
- Blessed Klymentiy Sheptytskyi, M.S.U. (1939.09.17 – 1951.05.01); first Hegumen of Ukrainian Studite Monks (1919 – 1944.11), then Archimandrite of Ukrainian Studite Monks (1944.11 – 1951.05.01)