Roman Catholic Diocese of Molegbe

Roman Catholic diocese in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Diocese of Molegbe

Dioecesis Molegbensis
Location
CountryDemocratic Republic of the Congo
MetropolitanMbandaka-Bikoro
Statistics
Area79,000 km2 (31,000 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics
(as of 1997)
3,761,732
1,879,566 (50.0%)
Information
RiteLatin Rite
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopDominique Bulamatari

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.

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

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.

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

See also

  • GCatholic.org, with incumbent biography links
  • Catholic Hierarchy