Roman Catholic Diocese of Molegbe explained

Jurisdiction:	Diocese
Molegbe
Latin:	Dioecesis Molegbensis
Metropolitan:	Mbandaka-Bikoro
Rite:	Latin Rite
Area Km2:	79,000
Population:	3,761,732
Population As Of:	1997
Catholics:	1,879,566
Catholics Percent:	50.0
Bishop:	Sede vacante
Apostolic Admin:	Joseph-Bernard Likolo Bokal’Etumba

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Molegbe (la|Molegben(sis)) is a suffragan Latin diocese in the ecclesiastical province of Mbandaka-Bikoro in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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)
- , Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lisala, has headed the diocese as Apostolic Administrator since August 2023

Source and External links

Notes and References

News: Silas . Isenjia . Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of 68-Year-Old Bishop in DR Congo . . 2023-08-01 . 2024-08-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240831002659/https://www.aciafrica.org/news/8787/pope-francis-accepts-resignation-of-68-year-old-bishop-in-dr-congo . 2024-08-31 . live.