Roman Catholic Diocese of Ghent
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ghent, also known as or ; is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Roman Catholic Church in Belgium. The patron of the diocese is Saint Bavo of Ghent
History
The diocese was erected in 1559 by papal bull super universitas to become independent of the Diocese of Tournai. Ghent had an important local administration, and was location of the Abbey of Saint-Bavon, founded by saint Amandus. However this abbey was suspended and the monks were chased out, moving to the collegiat church of Saint-John, and changed its name to Saint-Bavon. This collegiate church became the see of the current diocese. The diocese was from the surrounding dioceses in Belgium.Territorial strucure
Originally the diocese was much larger, and contained eg the city of Hulst. Currently the diocese is now coextensive with the Belgian province of East Flanders, in addition to the municipality of Zwijndrecht, which is in the secular Province of Antwerp.Administration
The diocese produces some important priest and clergy like Edward Poppe. The current bishop is Abbot Lode Van Hecke has been named by pope francis in 2019. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels.Saints
- Pharaildis
- Bavo of Ghent
- Livinus
Ordinaries
List of the bishops of the Diocese of Ghent, Belgium
| Tenure | Incumbent | Device | Reason for exit | |
| 1 | 1568–1576 | Cornelius Jansenius | State | Died |
| 2 | 1588 | Wilhelmus Damasus van der Linden | Quæ sursum quærite | Died |
| 3 | 1590–1609 | Pieter Damant | Deum redama | Died |
| 4 | 1610–1612 | Charles Maes | Deo duce | Died |
| 5 | 1613–1616 | Franciscus van der Burch | Unitas libertatis ars | Appointed Archbishop of Cambrai |
| 6 | 1617–1620 | Jacobus Boonen | Vince in bono | Appointed Archbishop of Mechelen |
| 7 | 1622–1657 | Antoon Triest | Confidenter | Died |
| 8 | 1660–1665 | Karel van den Bosch | Crucierne crucier | Died |
| 9 | 1666–1673 | Eugeen-Albert, count d'Allamont | Patiens esto | Died |
| 10 | 1677–1679 | Frans van Horenbeke | Facere et docere | Died |
| 11 | 1679–1680 | Ignace Schetz de Grobbendonk | In labore quies | Died |
| 12 | 1681–1694 | Albert de Hornes | Lex tua meditatione mea est | Died |
| 13 | 1695–1730 | Philips Erard van der Noot | Respice finem | Died |
| 14 | 1730–1741 | Jan-Baptist de Smet | Caelestia cude arma | Died |
| 15 | 1743–1770 | Maximiliaan-Antoon van der Noot | Respice finem | Died |
| 16 | 1772–1778 | Govaart-Geeraard van Eersel | Ordinate et provide | Died |
| 17 | 1779–1795 | Ferdinand-Marie, prince von Lobkowitz | Ad haerere Deus bonum | Died |
| 18 | 1802–1807 | Stefaan-Andreas de Paula Fallot de Beaumont | Appointed Bishop of Piacenza, Italy | |
| 19 | 1807–1821 | Maurits-Jan-Magdalena, prince de Broglie | Died | |
| 20 | 1829–1838 | Jan-Frans van de Velde | Auxilium a domino | Died |
| 21 | 1838–1864 | Louis-Joseph Delebecque | Monstra te esse Matrem | Died |
| 22 | 1865–1888 | Henricus Franciscus Bracq | In nomine Domini | Died |
| 23 | 1888–1889 | Henri-Charles Lambrecht | Died | |
| 24 | 1890–1916 | Antoon Stillemans | Vivat Jezus | Died |
| 25 | 1917–1927 | Emilius Seghers | Died | |
| 26 | 1927–1947 | Honoré Jozef Coppieters | Fide et Caritate | Died |
| 27 | 1947–1963 | Karel Justinus Calewaert | Caritate veritatis | Died |
| 28 | 1963–1991 | Léonce-Albert Van Peteghem | In Deo salutari | Retired |
| 29 | 1991–2003 | Arthur Luysterman | In terra pax | Retired |
| 30 | 2004–2019 | Lucas Van Looy | In nomine patris | Retired |
| 31 | 2019– | Lode Van Hecke | Cum gaudio spiritus sancti |
Other affiliated bishops
Coadjutor Bishops
- Gustavo Leonardo de Battice, did not succeed to see
- François-René Boussen, did not succeed to see; appointed Bishop of Brugge
- Honoré-Joseph Coppieters
- Henri-Charles-Camille Lambrecht
- Arthur Luysterman
Auxiliary Bishops
- Leo-Karel Jozef De Kesel
- Nicolas French
- Oscar Jozef Joliet
- Eugène Victor Marie van Rechem
Other priests of this diocese who became bishops
- Lodewijk Aerts, appointed Bishop of Brugge in 2016
- Josef De Kesel, appointed auxiliary bishop of Mechelen-Brussel in 2002; future Cardinal
- Gustaaf Joos, appointed titular archbishop and then Cardinal in 2003
- Paul Van den Berghe, appointed Bishop of Antwerpen in 1980
- François Camille Van Ronslé, appointed Vicar Apostolic of Belgian Congo in 1896