Catholic Church in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Roman Catholic Church in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.
Nearly 80% of the population is Catholic and the whole area is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Willemstad. The diocese consists of the territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean: the Caribbean Netherlands (the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba) as well as the countries of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. The northern part of the island of Saint Martin belongs to the Diocese of St John's-Basseterre.
Erected as the apostolic prefecture of Curaçao in 1752, it was elevated to a Vicariate in 1842, and finally the Diocese of Willemstad in April 1958. The Diocese is currently a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain in Trinidad. The current bishop is Luigi Antonio Secco, who succeeded in October 2001.