The Roman Catholic Diocese of Molegbe (Latin: Molegben(sis)) is a suffragan Latin diocese in the ecclesiastical province of Mbandaka-Bikoro in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Diocese of Molegbe Dioecesis Molegbensis | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Metropolitan | Mbandaka-Bikoro |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 79,000 km2 (31,000 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 1997) 3,761,732 1,879,566 (50.0%) |
| Information | |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Sede vacante |
| Apostolic Administrator | Joseph-Bernard Likolo Bokal’Etumba |
Its cathedral episcopal see is Cathédrale Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue (St. Anthony of Padua) in the city of Molegbe.
Description
The Diocese of Molegbe encompasses a territory of approximately 79,000 square kilometers surrounding the commune of Molegbe, Nord-Ubangi province. [1] In 2021, 944,440 Catholics lived in the diocese, representing 53.2 percent of the region's total population.[1]
History
- Established on 7 April 1911 as Apostolic Prefecture of Belgian Ubanghi, on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Belgian Congo.
- 28 January 1935: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Belgian Ubanghi, since entitled to a titular bishop.
- Promoted on 10 November 1959 as Diocese of Molegbe, becoming a suffragan diocese of Mbandaka-Bikoro.[1]
Ordinaries
- Apostolic Prefects of Belgian Ubanghi
- Fr. Fulgenzio da Gerard-Montes, OFMCap (1911 – 1930?)
- Fr. Basilio Ottavio Tanghe, OFMCap (16 October 1931 – 28 January 1935)
- Apostolic Vicars of Belgian Ubanghi
- Basilio Ottavio Tanghe, OFMCap (28 January 1935 – 16 December 1947), Titular Bishop of Tigava (28 January 1935 – 16 December 1947)
- Jean Ghislain Delcuve, OFMCap (10 June 1948 – 13 November 1958), Titular Bishop of Bargylia
- Léon Théobald Delaere, OFMCap (13 November 1958 – 10 November 1959), Titular Bishop of Fessei (13 November 1958 – 10 November 1959)
- Bishops of Molegbe
- Léon Théobald Delaere, OFMCap (10 November 1959 – 3 August 1967), later Titular Bishop of Rusibisir (3 August 1967 – 14 September 1976)
- Apostolic Administrator Louis Nganga a Ndzando (1967 – 5 September 1968), Bishop of Lisala (Congo-Kinshasa) (25 November 1964 – 6 July 1997)
- Joseph Kesenge Wandangakongu (5 September 1968 – 18 October 1997)
- Ignace Matondo Kwa Nzambi, CICM (27 June 1998 – 23 May 2007)
- Dominique Bulamatari (24 November 2009 – 1 August 2023)[1]
- Sede vacante (since 1 August 2023)
- Joseph-Bernard Likolo Bokal’Etumba, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lisala, has headed the diocese as Apostolic Administrator since August 2023
See also
References
Source and External links
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