thumb|500px|Map showing the dioceses of [[Lazio; the suburbicarian dioceses are in shades of yellow and gold with names in italics, preceded by S.S. (sede suburbicaria).]]
The seven suburbicarian dioceses (, ) are Catholic dioceses located in the vicinity of Rome, whose (titular) bishops are the (now six) ordinary members of the highest-ranking order of cardinals, the cardinal bishops (to which the cardinal patriarchs were added). Pope Francis had, in addition, co-opted five cardinals of the Latin Church to join the ranks of the cardinal bishops.
Being awarded the titular title of a suburbicarian see is considered more an honor or prestige than aimed towards a functional intent.
In 1962, Pope John XXIII in his decree Suburbicarii sedis made the cardinal bishops into titular bishops and made provision for the appointment of separate residential diocesan bishops for Velletri-Segni, Porto-Santa-Rufina, Frascati, Palestrina, Albano and Sabina. For the diocese of Ostia – the titular diocese of the dean of the College of Cardinals – no resident diocesan bishop was appointed; it is entrusted to an apostolic administrator, which is always the cardinal vicar of Rome. Though the diocesan bishops exercise all episcopal administrative functions, the cardinal bishops still formally take possession of their titular dioceses.
See also
- Diocese of Rome#Suburbicarian sees
- Titular church