2002 Creation of Catholic dioceses in Russia

15 years ago, on February 11, 2002, Pope John Paul II, despite the protest of the Moscow Patriarchate and a number of anti-Catholic rallies organized by the Patriarchate, transformed four apostolic administrations in Russia into full-fledged dioceses. The Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow, the Diocese of Preobrazhenskaya in Novosibirsk, the Diocese of Saint Joseph in Irkutsk, and the Diocese of Saint Clement in Saratov were established.