The Lesotho Catholic Bishops' Conference is a member of the Inter-Regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) and Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).
The local bishops are members of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Lesotho (Lesotho Catholic Bishops' Conference).
1972-1982: Alfonso Liguori Morapeli, Archbishop of Maseru
1982-1987: Sebastian Koto Khoarai, Bishop of Mohale's Hoek
1987-1991: Paul Khoarai, Bishop of Leribe
1991-1997: Evaristus Thatho Bitsoane, bishop of Qacha's Nek
1997-2002: Bernard Mohlalisi, Archbishop of Maseru
2002-2010: Evaristus Thatho Bitsoane, bishop of Qacha's Nek
2011 - ... : Gerard Tlali Lerotholi, Archbishop of Maseru [1] [2]
Lesotho, formally the Kingdom of Lesotho, formerly known as Basutoland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. As an enclave of South Africa, with which it shares a 1,106 km (687 mi) border, it is the largest sovereign enclave in the world, and the only one outside of the Italian Peninsula. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest peak in Southern Africa. It has an area of over 30,000 km2 (11,600 sq mi) and has a population of about two million. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. The country is also known by the nickname The Mountain Kingdom/The Kingdom in the Sky.
Politics of Lesotho takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister of Lesotho is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of Parliament, the Senate and the National Assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Basutoland was a British Crown colony that existed from 1884 to 1966 in present-day Lesotho, bordered with the Cape Colony, Natal Colony and Orange River Colony until 1910 and completely surrounded by South Africa from 1910. Though the Basotho and their territory had been under British control starting in 1868, the rule by Cape Colony was unpopular and unable to control the territory. As a result, Basutoland was brought under direct authority of Queen Victoria, via the High Commissioner, and run by an Executive Council presided over by a series of British Resident Commissioners.
Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili is a former Mosotho politician who was the fourth prime minister of Lesotho from May 1998 to June 2012 and again from March 2015 to June 2017. He led the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) to a near-total victory in the 1998 election, and under his leadership the party also won majorities in the 2002 and 2007 elections. While serving as Prime Minister, Mosisili was also Minister of Defence.
Thaba-Tseka is a district of Lesotho. Thaba-Tseka is also the name of the district's capital or camptown, which is the only town in the district. In the east, Thaba-Tseka borders on the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. Domestically, it borders on Mokhotlong District in northeast, Leribe District in north, Berea District in northwest, Maseru District in west, Mohale's Hoek District in southwest and Qacha's Nek District in the southern direction. The district is one of the major tourist attractions in Lesotho because of the second largest arch dam in Africa Katse Dam.
Mohale's Hoek is a district of Lesotho. Mohale's Hoek is the capital city or camptown, and only town in the district. In the southwest, Mohale's Hoek borders on South Africa, while domestically, it borders on Mafeteng District in northwest, Maseru District in north, Thaba-Tseka District in northeast, Qacha's Nek District in east, and Quthing District in southeast.
Qacha's Nek is a district of Lesotho. Qacha's Nek is the capital or camptown, and only town in the district. In the south, Qacha's Nek borders on the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, and it has a short border with KwaZulu-Natal Province in the far east. Domestically, it borders on Quthing District in southwest, Mohale's Hoek District in west and Thaba-Tseka District in the northern direction.
The Catholic Church in South Africa is part of the worldwide Catholic Church composed of the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, of which the South African church is under the spiritual leadership of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference and the pope in Rome. It is made up of 26 dioceses and archdioceses plus an apostolic vicariate.
The Catholic Church in Lesotho is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.
Pontso S. M. Sekatle is a politician and academic in Lesotho. Sekatle lectured at the National University of Lesotho from 1984 to 2001. In June 2001, she was appointed to the Senate of Lesotho, and on July 6, 2001 she became Minister of Health and Social Welfare. She was a member of the Qacha's Nek constituency for third time with the win in the elections in 2012 and was appointed the Minister of Local government and Chieftainship Affairs.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maseru is the metropolitan see for the ecclesiastical province of Maseru in Lesotho. The cathedral church of the diocese is the Our Lady of Victories Cathedral.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Leribe is a diocese located in the city of Leribe in the ecclesiastical province of Maseru in Lesotho.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Qacha's Nek is a diocese located in the town of Qacha’s Nek in the ecclesiastical province of Maseru in Lesotho.
Christianity is the dominant religion in Lesotho, with Protestantism and Catholicism being its main denominations.
Evaristus Thatho Bitsoane was the Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Qacha's Nek, Lesotho.
Hungarian Catholic Bishops' Conference (HCBC) is the Episcopal Conference of Catholic bishops of Hungary.
The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) is the assembly of bishops of the Catholic Church in Kenya. Its statutes were approved by the Holy See on December 7, 1976.
The National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in Cameroon. The origins date back to the missionaries of the Pallottines, who were the first to feel the need to meet to discuss issues related to the evangelization of the country. The CENC is a member of the Association of Regional Conferences of the Region of Central Africa and Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).
Sebastian Koto Khoarai, O.M.I. was a prelate of the Catholic Church who was bishop of Mohale's Hoek, Lesotho from 1977 to 2014. He was made a cardinal in 2016 and was the first and so far the only cardinal from Lesotho.
Gerard Tlali Lerotholi O.M.I. is a Lesothan prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been Archbishop of Maseru, Lesotho, since 2009.