Diocese of Kikwit

Diocese of Kikwit Dioecesis Kikuitensis
Location
Country	Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ecclesiastical province	Kinshasa
Statistics
Area	62,000 km2 (24,000 sq mi)
Population Total Catholics	(as of 2004) 3,809,220 2,004,852 (52.6%)
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Bishop	Timothée Bodika Mansiyai, P.S.S.
Website
https://diocesedekikwit.org/

The Diocese of Kikwit (Latin : Kikuiten(sis)) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church located in the city of Kikwit in the ecclesiastical province of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

History

• Established 18 April 1893 as Mission sui iuris of Kwango (or Koango), on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Léopoldville
• Promoted on 31 January 1903 as Apostolic Prefecture of Kwango
• Gained territory in March 1921 from the Apostolic Vicariate of Upper Kasai
• Promoted on 28 March 1928 to Apostolic Vicariate of Kwango, hence entitled to a titular bishop
• Lost territory repeatedly:
  • On 1 April 1931 to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Kisantu,
  • On 28 January 1935 to the same;
  • On 13 April 1937 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Ipamu
  • On 25 April 1939 to the same.
  • On 24 May 1950: to the Apostolic Vicariate of Léopoldville
• Renamed on 21 February 1955 as the Apostolic Vicariate of Kikwit
• Lost territory on 5 July 1957 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Kenge
• Promoted on 10 November 1959 as Diocese of Kikwit

Bishops

Ordinaries

Ecclesiastical superiors of the mission sui iuris of Kwango (Koango)

(not available -- 1893-1903)

Apostolic Prefects of Kwango

• Julien Banckaert (1903 – 1911)
• Stanislas de Vos, Society of Jesus (S.J.) (1911 – 1928)

Apostolic Vicars of Kwango

• Silvain van Hee, S.J. (28 March 1928 – 20 February 1936), Titular Bishop of Possala (28 March 1928 – 26 March 1960)
• Enrico van Schingen, S.J. (17 December 1936 – 2 July 1954), Titular Bishop of Phelbes (17 December 1936 – 2 July 1954)

Apostolic Vicar of Kikwit

• André Lefèbvre, S.J. (25 February 1955 – 10 November 1959 see below), Titular Bishop of Raphanea (25 February 1955 – 10 November 1959)

Bishops of Kikwit

• André Lefèbvre, S.J. (see above 10 November 1959 – 29 November 1967), later Titular Bishop of Thucca Terebenthina (29 November 1967 – 15 September 1976)
• Alexander Mbuka-Nzundu (29 November 1967 – 14 October 1985), previously Titular Bishop of Cataquas & Auxiliary Bishop of Kikwit (24 June 1961 – 29 November 1967)
• Édouard Mununu Kasiala, O.C.S.O. (10 March 1986 – 19 November 2016), also Apostolic Administrator of Popokabaka (Congo-Kinshasa) (1991 – 22 April 1996); previously Titular Bishop of Aquæ Flaviæ & Auxiliary Bishop of Kikwit (8 November 1984 – 10 March 1986)
• Timothée Bodika Mansiyai, P.S.S. (since 19 November 2016)

Coadjutor vicars apostolic

• Charles Dauvin, S.J. (1948), died without being consecrated
• Joseph Guffens, S.J. (1949-1954)

Auxiliary bishops

• Alexander Mbuka-Nzundu (1961-1967), appointed Bishop here
• Marie-Édouard Mununu, O.C.S.O. (1984-1986), appointed Bishop here

See also

• Roman Catholicism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Sources and external links

• GCatholic.org, with incumbent biography links
• Catholic Hierarchy