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Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mbandaka-Bikoro

The cathedral archiepiscopal see is at the Cathedral of St. Eugene, in Mbandaka, Équateur Province.

Statistics[edit]

As per 2015, it pastorally served 646,000 Catholics (52.4% of 1,232,000 total population) on 95,000 km² in 34 parishes with 87 priests (56 diocesan, 31 religious), 238 lay religious (82 brothers, 156 sisters) and 42 seminarians.

History[edit]

• Established on 11 February 1924 as Apostolic Prefecture of Tsuapa, on colonial territory split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Nouvelle-Anvers
• 28 January 1926: Renamed after its see as Apostolic Prefecture of Coquilhatstad=Coquilhatville, having gained more territory from the above Apostolic Vicariate of Nouvelle-Anvers
• 3 January 1931: Lost territory to establish the Mission sui juris of Bikoro (later a diocese, now merged-in with its title)
• Promoted on 22 March 1932 as Apostolic Vicariate of Coquilhatville
• 14 June 1951: Lost territory to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Isangi (now a diocese in Kisangani province)
• Promoted on 10 November 1959 as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Coquilhatville
• 11 September 1961: Lost territory to establish the Diocese of Ikela (now its suffragan as Diocese of Bokungu–Ikela)
• 30 May 1966: Renamed with its see as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mbandaka
• 12 April 1975: Renamed as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mbandaka–Bikoro, having gained territory from the suppressed Diocese of Bikoro whose title was merged in

Ecclesiastical Province[edit]

Its suffragan sees are :

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Basankusu
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Bokungu–Ikela, originally Ikela
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Budjala
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Lisala
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Lolo
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Molegbe

Bishops[edit]

Ordinaries[edit]

Apostolic Prefect of Coquilhatville

• Edoardo van Goethem, Sacred Heart Missionaries (M.S.C.) (born Belgium) (25 February 1924 – 22 March 1932 see below)

Apostolic Vicars of Coquilhatville

• Edoardo van Goethem, M.S.C. (see above 22 March 1932 – retired 1946), Titular BishopofCorone (29 November 1932 – death 26 May 1949)
• Hilaire Marie Vermeiren, M.S.C. (born Belgium) (10 April 1947 – 10 November 1959 see below), Titular Bishop of Gibba (10 April 1947 – 10 November 1959)

Metropolitan Archbishops of Coquilhatville

• Hilaire Marie Vermeiren, M.S.C. (see above 10 November 1959 – retired 8 April 1963), emeritate as Titular ArchbishopofPedachtoë (8 April 1963 – death 18 August 1967)
• Pierre Wijnants, M.S.C. (born Belgium) (21 April 1964 – 30 May 1966 see below)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Mbandaka

• Pierre Wijnants, M.S.C. (see above 30 May 1966 – 12 April 1975 see below)

Metropolitan Archbishops of Mbandaka-Bikoro

• Pierre Wijnants, M.S.C. (see above 12 April 1975 – retired 11 November 1977), died 1978
• Frédéric Etsou-Nzabi-Bamungwabi, Scheutists (C.I.C.M.) (first native Congolese incumbent) (11 November 1977 – 7 July 1990), succeeding as former Titular ArchbishopofMenefessi(8 July 1976 – 11 November 1977) as Coadjutor Archbishop of Mbandaka–Bikoro (8 July 1976 – 11 November 1977); later staying on a while as Apostolic Administrator of Mbandaka–Bikoro (7 July 1990 – 11 October 1991) while Metropolitan Archbishop of Kinshasa (7 July 1990 – death 6 January 2007), created Cardinal-PriestofS. Lucia a Piazza d’Armi (28 June 1991 – 6 January 2007), President of National Episcopal Conference of Congo (2000 – 2004)
• Joseph Kumuondala Mbimba (11 October 1991 - death 6 March 2016), also Apostolic AdministratorofDiocese of Bokungu–Ikela (Congo-Kinshasa) (11 October 1991 – 1993), Apostolic Administrator of Diocese of Molegbe (Congo-Kinshasa) (1997 – 27 June 1998); previously Titular Bishop of Simidicca (29 November 1980 – 18 March 1982) as Auxiliary BishopofDiocese of Bokungu–Ikela (Congo-Kinshasa) (29 November 1980 – 18 March 1982), succeeding as Bishop of Bokungu–Ikela (18 March 1982 – 11 October 1991)
• Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, Capuchin Franciscans (O.F.M. Cap.) (12 November 2016 – 6 February 2018), also Vice-President of National Episcopal Conference of Congo (24 June 2016 – ...), Apostolic Administrator of Diocese of Bokungu–Ikela (Congo-Kinshasa) (12 November 2016 – 6 February 2018); previously Bishop of above Bokungu–Ikela (22 November 2004 – 12 November 2016), also Apostolic Administrator of Diocese of Kole (Congo-Kinshasa) (30 October 2008 – 6 May 2015), Apostolic Administrator of Mbandaka–Bikoro (5 March 2016 – succession 12 November 2016); next Coadjutor Archbishop of Kinshasa (Congo-Kinshasa) (6 February 2018 – 1 November 2018), Archbishop of Kinshasa (1 November 2018 - ...); created Cardinal-Priest of San Gabriele Arcangelo all'Acqua Traversa (5 October 2019)
• Ernest Ngboko Ngombe, C.I.C.M. (23 November 2019 – present);^[1] previously, Bishop of Lisala (11 February 2015 – 23 November 2019)

Coadjutor bishop[edit]

• Frédéric Etsou-Nzabi-Bamungwabi, C.I.C.M. (1976-1977); future Cardinal

See also[edit]

• List of Catholic dioceses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Roman Catholicism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• GCatholic.org, with Google satellite HQ photo - data for all sections
• Catholic Hierarchy

0°03′36″N 18°15′22″E / 0.0600°N 18.2562°E / 0.0600; 18.2562