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Roman Catholic Diocese of Molegbe

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Metropolitan
  
Mbandaka-Bikoro

Pope
  
Francis

Area
  
79,000 km²

Rite
  
Latin Rite

Bishop
  
Dominique Bulamatari

Country
  
Democratic Republic of the Congo

Population - Total - Catholics
  
(as of 1997) 3,761,732 1,879,566 (50.0%)

Ecclesiastical province
  
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mbandaka-Bikoro

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.

Contents

Its cathedral episcopal see is Cathédrale Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue (St. Anthony of Padua) in the city of Molegbe.

History

  • Established on April 7, 1911 as Apostolic Prefecture of Belgian Ubanghi, on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Léopoldville
  • January 28, 1935: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Belgian Ubanghi, since entitled to a titular bishop
  • Promoted on November 10, 1959 as Diocese of Molegbe, ceasing to be exempt.

    • Ordinaries

    (all Roman Rite, mostly missionary members of Latin congregations)

    Apostolic Prefects of Belgian Ubanghi
  • Fr. Fulgenzio da Gerard-Montes, Capuchin Friars (O.F.M. Cap.) (1911 – 1930?)
  • Basilio Ottavio Tanghe, O.F.M. Cap. (1931.10.16 – 1935.01.28 see below)
    • Apostolic Vicars of Belgian Ubanghi
  • Basilio Ottavio Tanghe, O.F.M. Cap. (see above 1935.01.28 – 1947.12.16), Titular Bishop of Tigava (1935.01.28 – 1947.12.16)
  • Jean Ghislain Delcuve, O.F.M. Cap. (1948.06.10 – 1958.11.13), Titular Bishop of Bargylia
  • Léon Théobald Delaere, O.F.M. Cap. (1958.11.13 – 1959.11.10 see below), Titular Bishop of Fessei (1958.11.13 – 1959.11.10)
    • Bishops of Molegbe
  • Léon Théobald Delaere, (O.F.M. Cap.) (see above 1959.11.10 – 1967.08.03), later Titular Bishop of Rusibisir (1967.08.03 – 1976.09.14)
  • Apostolic Administrator Louis Nganga a Ndzando(1967 – 1968.09.05), Bishop of Lisala (Congo-Kinshasa) (1964.11.25 – 1997.07.06)
  • Joseph Kesenge Wandangakongu (1968.09.05 – 1997.10.18)
  • Ignace Matondo Kwa Nzambi, Scheutists (C.I.C.M.) (1998.06.27 – 2007.05.23)
  • Dominique Bulamatari (2009.11.24 - )

    • References

    Roman Catholic Diocese of Molegbe Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA