Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rabaul

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rabaul is a Latin Rite Metropolitan Archdiocese in Papua New Guinea.

It has its cathedral episcopal see Sacred Heart Cathedral in Vunapope and a Co-Cathedral, St Francis Xavier's Co-Cathedral, in Rabaul.

On June 19, 2020, Rochus Josef Tatamai, M.S.C. was appointed the new archbishop.

History

In 1844, it was established as Apostolic Vicariate of Melanesia (a pre-diocesan jurisdiction, entitled to a titular bishop and exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See) on territory split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Western Oceania.

On 8 December 1890, it was renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of New Pomerania.

It lost territories repeatedly, to establish :

• on 1896.02.24 the Apostolic Prefecture of Kaiser-Wilhelms-Land
• on 1897.06.28 the Apostolic Vicariate of Gilbert Islands
• on 1897.07.27 the Apostolic Prefecture of British Solomons
• on 1898.05.23 the Apostolic Prefecture of German Solomon Islands (now its suffragan diocese Bougainville)
• in 1905 the Mission sui juris of Marshall Islands.

On 14 November 1922, it was renamed after its see as Apostolic Vicariate of Rabaul.

On 5 July 1957, it lost territory again to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Kavieng (now its suffragan diocese).

On 15 November 1966, it was promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Rabaul.

On 4 July 2003, it lost territory to establish another suffragan see, the Diocese of Kimbe.

Coat of arms

Archbishop Francesco Panfilo S.D.B. - Coat of arms

Province

Its ecclesiastical province comprises, besides the Metropolitan's Archdiocese, the following suffragan bishoprics :

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Bougainville
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Kavieng
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimbe.

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), Titular Bishop of Sion (1844.07.19 – 1845.12.19)
• Jean Georges Collomb, S.M. (1846.02.19 – death 1848.07.16), Titular Bishop of Antiphellus (1846.02.19 – 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), Titular Bishop of Pentacomia (1887.05.17 – 1888.08.17); later Titular Archbishop of Cyrrhus (1888.08.17 – 1912.01.17), Apostolic Vicar of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea) (1889.05.10 – retired 1908.01)

Apostolic Vicars of New Britain

• Stanislas Henri Verjus, M.S.C. (1889.05.10 – 1889.12.28), Titular Bishop of Limyra (1889.05.10 – 1892.11.13), later Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea) (1889.12.28 – 1892.11.13)
• Louis Couppé, M.S.C. (1889.12.28 – 1890.12.08 see below), Titular Bishop of Lerus (1889.12.28 – 1925.12.18)

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), on emeritate promoted as Titular Archbishop of Hierapolis (1925.12.18 – 1926.07.20)
• Gerard Vesters (Gerardo Vesters), M.S.C. (1923.02.16 – 1938), Titular Bishop of Diocletianopolis in Palæstina (1923.02.16 – death 1954.08.30); previously Prefect Apostolic of Celebes (Indonesia) (1919.12 – 1923.02.16)
• Leo Isidore Scharmach, M.S.C. (1939.06.13 – 1963), Titular Bishop of Mostene (1939.06.13 – 1964.11.26)
• Johannes Höhne, M.S.C. (1963.03.01 – 1966.11.15 see below), Titular Bishop of Urima (1963.03.01 – 1966.11.15)

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 – 1989.03.29)
• Karl Hesse, M.S.C. (1990.07.07 – 2011.08.11), also President of Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (1994 – 1996), Apostolic Administrator sede plena of Bougainville (Papua New Guinea) (1995 – 1996.09.12), again Apostolic Administrator of Bougainville (1996.09.12 – 1999.04.19), President of Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (2002 – 2005); previously Titular Bishop of Naratcata (1978.04.27 – 1980.10.24) & Auxiliary Bishop of Rabaul (1978.04.27 – 1980.10.24), Bishop of Kavieng (Papua New Guinea) (1980.10.24 – 1990.07.07)
• Francesco Panfilo, Salesians (S.D.B.) (2011.08.11 – 2020.06.19), previously Bishop of Alotau–Sideia (Papua New Guinea) (2001.06.25 – 2010.03.18), President of Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (2008.04 – 2011.05), Coadjutor Archbishop of Rabaul (2010.03.18 – 2011.08.11)

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

See also

• List of Roman Catholic dioceses in Papua New Guinea

Sources and external links

• GigaCatholic, with incumbent biography links