Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bukavu, Congo-Kinshasa 🇨🇩

Continent: Eastern and Central Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Bukavu / Bukavuen(sis) (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Butembo–Beni, Goma, Kasongo, Kindu, Uvira

Neighbouring Dioceses: Kasongo (↙), Goma (↑), Cyangugu (→), Bubanza (↘), Uvira (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1929.12.26: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Kivu / de Kivu (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Haut-Congo)
1952.01.10: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Costermansville / Costermanpolitan(us) (Latin) (lost territory to establish Apostolic Vicariate of Kasongo)
1954.01.06: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Bukavu / Bukavuen(sis) (Latin)
1959.06.30: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Vicariate of Goma
1959.11.10: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bukavu / Bukavuen(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Beni in Congo, Goma, Kasongo and Kindu)
1962.04.16: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Uvira and gained suffragan see Uvira

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2006.04.26 – ...):

Archbishop François-Xavier Maroy Rusengo (69)

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Bukavu (Roman Rite)

Archbishop François-Xavier Maroy Rusengo (69)
(2006.04.26 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Bukavu (Congo-Kinshasa)

Fiat voluntas tua

Born:	1956.09.01 (Bukavu, Congo-Kinshasa)
Ordained Priest:	1984.08.19
Consecrated Bishop:	2005.01.16

Priest of Bukavu (Congo-Kinshasa) (1984.08.19 – 2004.11.22)

Titular Bishop of Thucca in Mauretania (2004.11.22 – 2006.04.26)

Auxiliary Bishop of Bukavu (Congo-Kinshasa) (2004.11.22 – 2006.04.26)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Bukavu (Congo-Kinshasa) (2006.04.26 – ...)

Apostolic Administrator of Uvira (Congo-Kinshasa) (2008.08 – 2013.10.15)

Archbishop Charles Kambale Mbogha, A.A.
(2001.03.13 – 2005.10.09)

Je me suis fait tout a tous

Born:	1942.11.04 (Kilubo, Congo-Kinshasa)
Ordained Priest:	1969.07.24
Consecrated Bishop:	1990.11.25
Died:	2005.10.09 (Bukavu, Congo-Kinshasa † 62)

Bishop of Wamba (Congo-Kinshasa) (1990.06.11 – 1995.12.06)

Apostolic Administrator of Wamba (Congo-Kinshasa) (1995.12.06 – 1996.11.08)

Bishop of Isiro–Niangara (Congo-Kinshasa) (1995.12.06 – 2001.03.13)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Bukavu (Congo-Kinshasa) (2001.03.13 – 2005.10.09)

Archbishop Emmanuel Kataliko
(1997.03.03 – 2000.10.04)

Duc in altum / Mater ecclesiæ

Born:	1932 (Lukale, Congo-Kinshasa)
Ordained Priest:	1958.12.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1966.10.11
Died:	2000.10.04 († 67)

Priest of Beni (Congo-Kinshasa) (1958.12.20 – 1966.05.17)

Bishop of Beni (Congo-Kinshasa) (1966.05.17 – 1967.02.07)

Bishop of Butembo–Beni (Congo-Kinshasa) (1967.02.07 – 1997.03.03)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Bukavu (Congo-Kinshasa) (1997.03.03 – 2000.10.04)

Archbishop Christophe Munzihirwa Mwene Ngabo, S.J.
(1995.03.14 – 1996.10.29)

Born:	1926 (Kabare, Congo-Kinshasa)
Ordained Priest:	1958.08.17
Consecrated Bishop:	1986.11.09
Died:	1996.10.29 († 69)

Coadjutor Bishop of Kasongo (Congo-Kinshasa) (1986.03.10 – 1990.04.30)

Bishop of Kasongo (Congo-Kinshasa) (1990.04.30 – 1995.03.14)

Apostolic Administrator of Bukavu (Congo-Kinshasa) (1993.09.15 – 1995.03.14)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Bukavu (Congo-Kinshasa) (1995.03.14 – 1996.10.29)

Bishop Christophe Munzihirwa Mwene Ngabo, S.J. (later Archbishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 1993.09.15 – 1995.03.14)

Archbishop Aloys Mulindwa Mutabesha Mugoma Mweru
(1965.12.18 – 1993.09.15)

Born:	1922 (Muzinzi, Congo-Kinshasa)
Ordained Priest:	1954.04.24
Consecrated Bishop:	1966.03.20
Died:	1997.08.21 († 74)

Priest of Bukavu (Congo-Kinshasa) (1954.04.24 – 1965.12.18)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Bukavu (Congo-Kinshasa) (1965.12.18 – 1993.09.15)

President of National Episcopal Conference of Congo (1967 – 1970)

Apostolic Administrator of Kindu (Congo-Kinshasa) (1978.01.17 – 1979.03.15)

Archbishop Louis van Steene, M. Afr.
(1959.11.10 – 1965.05.24)

Born:	1913.12.05 (Antwerp, Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1938.06.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1956.01.15
Died:	1983.03.26 († 69)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Bukavu (Congo-Kinshasa) (1955.11.07 – 1957)

Titular Bishop of Bennefa (1955.11.07 – 1959.11.10)

Vicar Apostolic of Bukavu (Congo-Kinshasa) (1957 – 1959.11.10)

Apostolic Administrator of Goma (Congo-Kinshasa) (1959 – 1960.03.01)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Bukavu (Congo-Kinshasa) (1959.11.10 – 1965.05.24)

Titular Archbishop of Ausuccura (1965.05.24 – 1976.09.20)

Vicars Apostolic of Bukavu (Roman Rite)

Bishop Louis van Steene, M. Afr. (later Archbishop)
(1957 – 1959.11.10)

(see above)

Bishop Xavier Geeraerts, M. Afr.
(1954.01.06 – 1957)

Born:	1894.04.04 (Melsbroeck, Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1922.07.15
Consecrated Bishop:	1952.03.25
Died:	1971.02.23 († 76)

Titular Bishop of Lagania (1952.01.10 – 1971.02.23)

Vicar Apostolic of Costermansville (Congo-Kinshasa) (1952.01.17 – 1954.01.06)

Vicar Apostolic of Bukavu (Congo-Kinshasa) (1954.01.06 – 1957)

Vicars Apostolic of Costermansville (Roman Rite)

Bishop Xavier Geeraerts, M. Afr.
(1952.01.17 – 1954.01.06)

(see above)

Vicars Apostolic of Kivu (Roman Rite)

Bishop Richard Cleire, M. Afr.
(1944.12.14 – 1952.01.10)

Born:	1900.10.28 (Antwerp, Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1926.06.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1945.03.04
Died:	1968.01.08 († 67)

Vicar Apostolic of Kivu (Congo-Kinshasa) (1944.12.14 – 1952.01.10)

Titular Bishop of Claudiopolis in Isauria (1944.12.14 – 1959.11.10)

Vicar Apostolic of Kasongo (Congo-Kinshasa) (1952.01.10 – 1959.11.10)

Bishop of Kasongo (Congo-Kinshasa) (1959.11.10 – 1963.04.05)

Titular Bishop of Tadamata (1963.04.05 – 1968.01.08)

Bishop Edoardo Luigi Antonio Leys, M. Afr.
(1930.01.06 – 1944)

Born:	1889.07.05 (Bruges, Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1914.06.27
Consecrated Bishop:	1930.04.21
Died:	1945.08.10 († 56)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Kivu (Congo-Kinshasa) (1929.12.19 – 1930.01.06)

Titular Bishop of Uzalis (1929.12.19 – 1945.08.10)

Vicar Apostolic of Kivu (Congo-Kinshasa) (1930.01.06 – 1944)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: Bishop Louis van Steene, M. Afr. (later Archbishop) (1955.11.07 – 1957)
Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: Bishop-elect Edoardo Luigi Antonio Leys, M. Afr. (1929.12.19 – 1930.01.06)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop François-Xavier Maroy Rusengo (69) (later Archbishop) (2004.11.22 – 2006.04.26)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de la Paix, Bukavu, Sud-Kivu

Kasongo (↙), Goma (↑), Cyangugu (→), Bubanza (↘), Uvira (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 8,115 km²

Population: 1,105,125 Catholics (48.6% of 2,275,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 42 parishes, 149 missions

Personnel: 272 priests (179 diocesan, 93 religious), 675 religious (217 brothers, 458 sisters), 85 seminarians