Roman Catholic Diocese of São Tomé and Príncipe

The Roman Catholic Diocese of São Tomé and Príncipe (Latin: Sancti Thomae in Insula) is a diocese, immediately subject to the Holy See, with its seat in the city of São Tomé in São Tomé and Príncipe.^[1][2] It covers the territory of the Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe. As of 2015, 112,000 or 57.4% of the inhabitants of São Tomé and Príncipe were catholic.^[2]

History[]

The diocese was established on 3 November 1534 as the Diocese of Tomé from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Funchal in Portugal. The diocese initially included the Portuguese controlled or Christian areas of southwestern Africa. In 1596, it lost territory to the new diocese of São Salvador do Congo (today's Angola). in 1818 it lost territory to the new Apostolic Vicariate of Cape of Good Hope (today's South Africa). In 1842 it lost territory to the new Apostolic Prefecture of the Two Guineas and Senegambia (much of central and west Africa). In 1924, the diocese was renamed Diocese of São Tomé. In 1957 it was renamed to its current name Diocese of São Tomé and Príncipe.^[2]

Churches[]

The cathedral is Sé Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Graça (Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace) in São Tomé.^[2]

Bishops[]

The bishops of the Diocese of (São) Tomé (and Príncipe):^[2]

• Bishops of Tomé (Roman rite)
  • Bishop Diogo Ortiz de Vilhegas (1533–1540)
  • Bishop , O.P. (1540–1553)
  • Bishop , O.S.A. (1554–1572)
  • Bishop , O. Cist. (1578–1592)
  • Bishop , O.F.M. (1592–1602)
  • Bishop , O.P. (1604–1608)
  • Bishop , O. Cist. (1611–1614)
  • Bishop , O.S.A. (1615–1620)
  • Bishop Francisco de Soveral, O.S.A. (1623.06.10 – 1627.02.08)
  • Bishop , O.P. (1627–1632)
  • Bishop , O.S.H. (1674–1677)
  • Bishop , C.R.S.A. (1677–1680)
  • Bishop , O.F.M. (1687–1690)
  • Bishop , O.S.P.P.E. (1693.01.02 – 1696.12.17)
  • Bishop António da Penha de França, O.A.D. (1699–1702)
  • Bishop João de Sahagún, O.A.D. (1709–1730)
  • Bishop Leandro de Santo Agostinho da Piedade, O.A.D. (1739–1740)
  • Bishop Tomas Luiz da Conceição, O.A.D. (1742–1744)
  • Bishop , O.S.A. (1745–1747)
  • Bishop (1753–1758)
  • Bishop Vicente do Espirito Santo, O.A.D. (1779.03.01 – 1782.12.17)
  • Bishop , O.P. (1782–1788)
  • Bishop , O.F.M. (1794–1800)
  • Bishop , O.F.M. (1802.05.24 – 1803.09)
  • Bishop , O.A.D. (1805.06.26 – 1812.03.23)
  • Bishop , O.C.D. (1816.03.08 – 1819.11.10), appointed Prelate of Mozambico
• Bishops of São Tomé and Príncipe (Roman rite)
  • Archbishop , C.S.Sp. (1941.01.18 – 1966.11.17); he is listed here as Archbishop because he is listed concurrently as Archbishop of Luanda, Angola.
  • Bishop Abílio Rodas de Sousa Ribas, C.S.Sp. (1984.12.03 – 2006.12.01)
  • Bishop Manuel António Mendes dos Santos, C.M.F. (since 2006.12.01)

Ecclesiastical decoration[]

• Cross of São Tomé (Catholic ecclesiastical decoration)

References[]

Coordinates: 0°20′26″N 6°44′05″E / 0.3406°N 6.7346°E / 0.3406; 6.7346

This São Tomé and Príncipe-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

• v
• t

This article on a Roman Catholic diocese in Africa is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

• v
• t