Archdiocese of Rabaul
Latin Catholic archdiocese in Papua New Guinea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Archdiocese of Rabaul is a Latin Catholic metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea.
- Total
- Catholics
- (as of 2023)
- 413,000
- 191,400 (46.3%)
Archdiocese of Rabaul Archidioecesis Rabaulensis | |
|---|---|
Coat of arms | |
| Location | |
| Country | Papua New Guinea |
| Headquarters | Kokopo, East New Britain Province |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 19,320 km2 (7,460 sq mi) |
Population
|
|
| Parishes | 41 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 10 May 1889 |
| Cathedral | Sacred Heart Cathedral, Vunapope |
| Co-cathedral | Saint Francis Xavier Co-Cathedral, Rabaul |
| Secular priests | 73 |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Rochus Tatamai, M.S.C. |
| Bishops emeritus | Francesco Panfilo, S.D.B. |
Its episcopal see is shared between Sacred Heart Cathedral in Vunapope and Saint Francis Xavier Co-Cathedral in Rabaul.
The current Archbishop of Rabaul is Rochus Josef Tatamai, M.S.C., who was appointed by Pope Francis on June 19, 2020,
History
In 1844, the Apostolic Vicariate of Melanesia was established with territory split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Western Oceania.
On 8 December 1890, a new jurisdiction was carved from this, the Apostolic Vicariate of New Pomerania.
It lost territories repeatedly :
- on 1896.02.24, to form the Apostolic Prefecture of Kaiser-Wilhelms-Land;
- on 1897.06.28, to form the Apostolic Vicariate of Gilbert Islands;
- on 1897.07.27, to form the Apostolic Prefecture of British Solomons;
- on 1898.05.23, to form the Apostolic Prefecture of German Solomon Islands (now Rabaul's suffragan Diocese of Bougainville); and
- in 1905, to form the Mission sui juris of Marshall Islands.
On 14 November 1922, it was renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Rabaul.
On 5 July 1957, it lost territory again to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Kavieng (now Rabaul's suffragan diocese).
On 15 November 1966, the diocese became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Rabaul.
On 4 July 2003, it lost territory to establish the another suffragan Diocese of Kimbe.
Province
Its ecclesiastical province comprises, besides the Metropolitan's Archdiocese, the following suffragan bishoprics :
Bishops
(all Roman Rite; so far missionary members of Latin congregations)
Ordinaries
- Apostolic Vicars of Melanesia
- Jean Baptiste Epalle, Marists (S.M.) (1844.07.19 – death 1845.12.19)
- Jean Georges Collomb, S.M. (1846.02.19 – death 1848.07.16)
- Father Paolo Reina, Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions M.E.M. (1852.01.11 – death 1861.03.14)
- Louis-André Navarre, Sacred Heart Missionaries (M.S.C.) (1887.05.17 – 1889.05.10), appointed Apostolic Vicar of New Guinea
- Apostolic Vicars of New Britain
- Stanislas Henri Verjus, M.S.C. (1889.05.10 – 1889.12.28), appointed Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea)
- Louis Couppé, M.S.C. (1889.12.28 – 1890.12.08 see below)
- Apostolic Vicar of new Pomerania
- Louis Couppé, M.S.C. (see above 1890.12.08 – 1922.11.14 see below)
- Apostolic Vicars of Rabaul
- Louis Couppé, M.S.C. (see below 1922.11.14 – retired 1923)
- Gerard Vesters (Gerardo Vesters), M.S.C. (1923.02.16 – resigned 1939)
- Leo Isidore Scharmach, M.S.C. (1939.06.13 – resigned 1962)
- Johannes Höhne, M.S.C. (1963.03.01 – 1966.11.15 see below)
- Metropolitan Archbishops of Rabaul
- Johannes Höhne, M.S.C. (1966.11.15 – death 1978.05.27)
- Albert-Leo Bundervoet, M.S.C. (1980.03.06 – death 1989.08.16)
- Karl Hesse, M.S.C. (1990.07.07 – retired 2011.08.11)
- Francesco Panfilo, Salesians (S.D.B.) (2011.08.11 – retired 2020.06.19)
- Rochus Tatamai, M.S.C. (19 June 2020 – Present)
Coadjutor archbishop
- Francesco Panfilo, S.D.B. (2010-2011)
Auxiliary bishops
- Karl Hesse, M.S.C. (1978-1980), appointed Bishop of Kavieng (later returned here as archbishop)
- George To Bata (1978-1995)
- Patrick Taval, M.S.C. (1999-2007), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Kerema
- Alphonse Liguori Chaupa (2000-2003), appointed Bishop of Kimbe
- John Doaninoel, S.M. (2007-2011), appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Honiara, Solomon Islands
Other priests of this diocese who became bishops
- Herman To Paivu, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Port Moresby in 1974
- Benedict To Varpin, appointed Bishop of Bereina in 1979
- Francis Meli, appointed Bishop of Vanimo in 2018