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Metropolis of Kinshasa

Revision as of 22:22, March 17, 2021 by EGobi (talk | contribs)

The Holy Archdiocese of Kinshasa and Central Africa is a diocese under the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. Its territory includes the parishes and missions located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the DRC) and the Congolese Republic (Congo-Brazzaville).

History

The see of Elisabethville (modern Lubumbashi) in Belgian Congo was established as Archdiocese of Central Africa and All the Equator on November 28, 1958 by the Patriarchate of Alexandria with Archbishop Kyprianos as the first ruling hierarch. He was succeeded by Abp. Nicodemus. In 1977, Abp. Timothy (Kontomeros) moved the see to Kinshasa, the capital of Zaire (modern Congo), and became the ruling bishop of the missionary activities of the diocese until his repose in 2003.

In 2003, Archimandrite Ignatios (Madenlidis), who had been a missionary in Kananga for twenty years, was consecrated as the Archbishop of Central Africa. On November 11, 2006, His Eminence founded the Diocese of Kolwezi in Congo under his omophorion. After his resignation in 2010, Archimandrite Nikiforos (Mikragiannanitis) was consecrated on October 24, 2010 and enthroned in the Cathedral Church of St. Nicholas in Kinshasa on December 19, 2010.[1] On November 24, 2015, following the new administrative changes in the Congolese provinces by the government and the elevation of the see of Kolwezi to an independent archbishopric, the archdiocese received its current name.

Ruling Bishops

  • Kyprianos (Papadopoulos) 1958–1973
  • Nicodemos (Galiatsatos) 1974–1976
  • Timothy (Kontomeros) 1976–2003
  • Ignatios (Madenlides) 2003–2010

(lost territory to establish the Diocese of Kolwezi and the Diocese of Brazzaville)

(lost territory to establish the Archdiocese of Kananga, the Diocese of Goma and the Diocese of Kisangani)

Reference

See also

Further reading

Sources