Archdiocese of Bukavu

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

Archdiocese of Archdiocese of Bukavu Archidioecesis Bukavuensis French: Archidiocèse de Bukavu
Location
Country	Democratic Republic of the Congo
Territory	Bukavu
Statistics
Area	8,115 km2 (3,133 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2020) 2,799,287 1,099,164 ( 39.3%)
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Latin (or Roman)
Established	26 December 1929
Cathedral	Our Lady of Peace
Current leadership
Bishop	Archbishop François-Xavier Maroy Rusengo
Website
Official website

History

• 26 December 1929: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Kivu from the Apostolic Vicariate of Upper Congo
• 10 January 1952: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Costermansville
• 6 January 1954: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Bukavu
• 10 November 1959: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bukavu

Special churches

Cathédrale Notre Dame de la Paix

The seat of the archbishop is Cathédrale Notre Dame de la Paix in Bukavu.

Bishops

Ordinaries, in reverse chronological order

• Metropolitan Archbishops of Bukavu (Latin Rite), below
  • Archbishop François-Xavier Maroy Rusengo since 26 April 2006
  • Archbishop Charles Kambale Mbogha, A.A. (13 March 2001 – 9 October 2005)
  • Archbishop Emmanuel Kataliko (3 March 1997 – 4 October 2000)
  • Archbishop Christophe Munzihirwa Mwene Ngabo, S.J. (14 March 1995 – 29 October 1996)
  • Archbishop Aloys Mulindwa Mutabesha Mugoma Mweru (18 December 1965 – 15 September 1993)
  • Archbishop Louis van Steene, M. Afr. (10 November 1959 – 24 May 1965); see below
• Vicars Apostolic of Bukavu (Latin Rite), below
  • Bishop Louis van Steene, M. Afr. (8 March 1957 – 10 November 1959); see above
  • Bishop Xavier Geeraerts, M. Afr. (17 January 1952 – 8 March 1957)
• Vicars Apostolic of Kivu (Roman rite), below
  • Bishop Richard Cleire, M. Afr. (14 December 1944 – 10 January 1952), appointed Vicar Apostolic of Kasongo
  • Bishop Edoardo Luigi Antonio Leys, M. Afr. (6 January 1930 – August 1944)

Coadjutor vicar apostolic

• Louis Van Steene, M. Afr. (1955-1957)

Auxiliary bishop

• François-Xavier Maroy Rusengo (2004-2006)

Priests from this diocese who were named bishops

• Emile Mushosho Matabaro, named Bishop of Doruma-Dugu on 24 October 2022.

Suffragan dioceses

• Butembo-Beni
• Goma
• Kasongo
• Kindu
• Uvira

Conflict in South Kivu

The local Catholic Church has suffered greatly from the ongoing instability and conflict in South Kivu, where the diocese is located.

In an interview with Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, in 2024, the head of the Archdiocese of Bukavu lamented that "for 30 years, we have been in a cycle of violence and eternal new beginnings. One knows when the war starts, but not when it will end. For 30 years, we have been evangelising in the midst of war and trying to convey this message of hope to the people: God created man for life, not for death! We must not give up.” ^[1]

However, the Vicar General Floribert Bashimbe added that the Church continues to grow. "Despite all this, the number of faithful in the archdiocese has increased. And our schools and hospitals are among the most renowned in the country.” ^[1]

See also

• Roman Catholicism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• List of Roman Catholic dioceses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

References

1. Hartet, Sina (12 June 2024). "Democratic Republic of Congo: 30 years of wartime evangelisation". ACN International. Retrieved 25 August 2025.

• GCatholic.org

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