Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lubumbashi

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lubumbashi (Latin: Lubumbashien(sis)) is the Metropolitan See for the ecclesiastical province of Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

History

Lubumbashi Cathedral

• 5 August 1910: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Katanga, on territory split from the Apostolic Vicariate of Léopoldville
• 18 July 1922: Lost territory to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Lulua Katanga (now its suffragan dioceses of Kamina and Kolwezi)
• 12 May 1925: Lost territory to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Upper Luapula (now its suffragan Sakania–Kipushi)
• 22 March 1932: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Katanga, still exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See
• 10 November 1959: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Elisabethville
• 30 May 1966: Renamed as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lubumbashi
• 13 November 1976: Lost territory to the suffragan Roman Catholic Diocese of Sakania–Kipushi
• 5 March 1977: Lost territory to the suffragan Roman Catholic Diocese of Kilwa–Kasenga
• August 1985: Enjoyed a papal visit by Pope John Paul II.

Special churches

The seat of the archbishop is the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul (French: Cathédrale Saints Pierre et Paul) in Lubumbashi.

Bishops

Ordinaries in reverse chronological order

• Metropolitan Archbishops of Lubumbashi (Latin Rite), below
  • Archbishop Fulgence Muteba Mugalu (22 May 2021 – ...)
  • Archbishop Jean-Pierre Tafunga Mbayo, S.D.B. (1 December 2010 – 31 March 2021)
  • Archbishop Floribert Songasonga Mwitwa (22 May 1998 – 1 December 2010)
  • Archbishop Eugène Kabanga Songasonga (13 April 1967 – 25 March 1998)
  • Archbishop José Floriberto Cornelis, O.S.B. (10 November 1959 – 13 April 1967); see below
• Vicars Apostolic of Katanga (Latin Rite), below
  • Bishop José Floriberto Cornelis, O.S.B. (27 November 1958 – 10 November 1959); see above
  • Bishop Jean-Félix de Hemptinne, O.S.B. (15 March 1932 – 6 February 1958); see below
• Prefect Apostolic of Katanga (Latin Rite), below
  • Father Jean-Félix de Hemptinne, O.S.B. (6 August 1910 – 15 March 1932); see above

Coadjutor archbishop

• Jean-Pierre Tafunga Mbayo, S.D.B. (2008-2010)

Suffragan dioceses

• Kalemie–Kirungu
• Kamina
• Kilwa–Kasenga
• Kolwezi
• Kongolo
• Manono
• Sakania–Kipushi

See also

• Roman Catholicism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Sources

• GCatholic.org
• "Archdiocese of Lubumbashi". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney.