Pope Pius X establishes the new Archdiocese of Vancouver

A translation of the 1908 bull by Pope Pius X establishing a new archdiocese for B.C.

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For a future record of the fact. Placed by God, through no merits of our own, in the sublime seat of the Prince of the Apostles, we turn our gaze with vigilant zeal upon all part of the Catholic world, and those things which tend beneficently, prosperously and happily to foster the Catholic name and the eternal salvation of the faithful, we hasten to execute with ready will.

Now since the diocese of New Westminster in British Columbia in the Dominion of Canada, in the ecclesiastical province of Victoria on the island of Vancouver, has happily been increased by fresh immigration; and both in the number of Catholics and in the facility of transportation it is of so much greater importance than the other territories of the same ecclesiastical province that it seems opportune now, when the metropolitan see of Victoria is vacant, to re-organize the said ecclesiastical province; therefore, we with our venerable brethren, the cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, who are at the head of the affairs of the Propaganda, and with the advice of the said cardinals having with due care taken all things into consideration as regards the importance of this matter, command to be decreed as follows:

Absolving and regarding as absolved, each and every on whom these our letters concern, form all excommunication and interdict and other ecclesiastical sentences, censures and penalties whatsoever, if it may be the same have been incurred; we, of our own initiative and with certain knowledge and mature deliberation in the plenitude of our apostolic authority, raise by these presents the aforesaid diocese of New Westminster to the metropolitan dignity; and we declare its see transferred from the city of New Westminster to the city of Vancouver, whence it is to be hereafter called the archdiocese of Vancouver.

Moreover by our same authority we will and command by these presents that the actual archdiocese of Victoria in the island of the Vancouver, which is now vacant, shall be, as also the prefecture apostolic of Yukon held henceforth as a suffragan diocese of the said metropolitan see of Vancouver thus erected by us; the territories of each retaining their present limits.

We decree the present letters are and shall remain binding, valid and efficacious and shall have a complete and lasting effect; that in all things they are to be fully accepted in their entirety by those whom they concern or whom they may concern; and that they must be judged and explained as above written by all judges ordinary and delegated whomsoever; and we decree anything to the contrary by anyone, knowingly or unknowingly, to be null and void.

Dated at St. Peter's in Rome the 19th of September 1908, the sixth year of our pontificate.

R. Card. Merry del Val y Zulueta

Secretary