Diocese of Molegbe

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	Leo XIV
Bishop	Joseph Mopepe Ngongo (Bishop-Elect)
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 (1 August 2023 - 6 July 2025)
• Joseph Mopepe Ngongo, Bishop-Elect. Consecration and installation scheduled on 6 July 2025.

See also

• Roman Catholicism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo