Archdiocese of Rabaul

The Archdiocese of Rabaul is a Latin Catholic metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea.

Its episcopal see is shared between Sacred Heart Cathedral in Vunapope and Saint Francis Xavier Co-Cathedral in Rabaul.

The current Archbishop of Rabaul is Rochus Josef Tatamai, M.S.C., who was appointed by Pope Francis on June 19, 2020,

History

In 1844, the Apostolic Vicariate of Melanesia was established with territory split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Western Oceania.

On 8 December 1890, a new jurisdiction was carved from this, the Apostolic Vicariate of New Pomerania.

It lost territories repeatedly :

• on 1896.02.24, to form the Apostolic Prefecture of Kaiser-Wilhelms-Land;
• on 1897.06.28, to form the Apostolic Vicariate of Gilbert Islands;
• on 1897.07.27, to form the Apostolic Prefecture of British Solomons;
• on 1898.05.23, to form the Apostolic Prefecture of German Solomon Islands (now Rabaul's suffragan Diocese of Bougainville); and
• in 1905, to form the Mission sui juris of Marshall Islands.

On 14 November 1922, it was renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Rabaul.

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

On 15 November 1966, the diocese became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Rabaul.

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

Province

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

• Diocese of Bougainville
• Diocese of Kavieng
• 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 Catholic dioceses in Papua New Guinea & Solomon Islands

References

Sources and external links

• GigaCatholic, with incumbent biography links