Catholic Church in Albania

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Distribution of Catholics in Albania as according to the 1918 census. Data unavailable in the South and East due to political instability.
Traditional Catholic woman in Northern Albania

The Catholic Church in Albania (Albanian: Kisha katolike në Shqipëri) is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.

At the 2023 census, the percentage of Catholics was 8.38%[1]

Catholicism is strongest in the northwestern part of the country, which historically had the most readily available contact with, and support from, Rome and the Republic of Venice. Mirditë has the highest concentration of Catholics while, Shkodër is the center of Catholicism in Albania. More than 20,000 Albanian Catholics are located in Montenegro, mostly in Ulcinj, Bar, Podgorica, Tuzi, Gusinje and Plav. The region is considered part of the Malsia Highlander region of the seven Albanian Catholic tribes. The region was split from Ottoman Albania after the First Balkan War. There are also scattered Albanian Catholics in Kosovo and North Macedonia, with the greatest concentration being in the vicinity of Gjakova.

There are five dioceses in the country, including two archdioceses plus an Apostolic Administration covering southern Albania. Caritas Albania is the official social arm of the Church.

  1. ^ https://www.instat.gov.al/media/13626/cens-2023-census-botim.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)