An ancient diocese of
Emona was founded in 320 but in the seventh century the see was transferred on the coast of
Istria in the city of
Cittanova to form a
new diocese. From 811, the territory of the Ljubljana Archdiocese was part of the ecclesiastical territory of the
Patriarch of Aquileia.
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor, erected on 6 December 1461 the
Diocese of Laibach, which was confirmed six months later, on 6 September 1462, by
Pope Pius II. Several days later, it was taken from the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Aquileia and made directly subject to the
Holy See. On 3 March 1787, it became an
archdiocese and a
metropolis, which it remained until 1807, when it was for political reasons degraded to a common diocese. The Nazi persecution of the Church in
annexed Slovenia was akin to that which occurred in Poland. Within six weeks of the Nazi occupation, only 100 of the 831 priests in the
Diocese of Maribor and part of the Diocese of Ljubljana remained free. Clergy were persecuted and sent to concentration camps, while
religious orders had their properties seized. The diocese was again elevated to an archdiocese by
Pope John XXIII on 22 December 1961, and to a metropolis by
Pope Paul VI on 22 November 1968. Today the archdiocese has two
suffragan sees,
Koper (since 1977) and
Novo Mesto (since 2006). It is the principal
see of Slovenia; one living former archbishop,
Franc Rode,
CM, was promoted to a Curial office (Prefect of the
Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life) and made a Cardinal. ==List of bishops of Ljubljana==