The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ambanja ( la, Ambaniaën(sis)) is a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

located in the city of

Ambanja Ambanja is a city and commune in northern Madagascar. According to 2001 census the population of Ambanja was 28,468. Geography Ambanja is located on the northern berth of the Sambirano River and is crossed by the Route Nationale 6 (Antsiranana ...

in the

Ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...

of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Antsiranana in

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

. Its episcopal see is the Cathedral of Saint Joseph, which was constructed in 1933.

History

On September 4, 1848, the Apostolic Prefecture of Isole di Mayotta, Nossi-Bé e Comore was established from the

Apostolic Vicariate of Madagascar The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Antananarivo is one of five Latin Metropolitan Archdioceses in Madagascar, yet depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Its cathedral episcopal see is the Cathédrale de l ...

. In 1843 the French Government, called in by the sultan, had taken possession of

Mayotte Mayotte (; french: Mayotte, ; Shimaore: ''Maore'', ; Kibushi: ''Maori'', ), officially the Department of Mayotte (french: Département de Mayotte), is an overseas department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is loc ...

, which became, with Nossi-Bé, a post of surveillance over

. These islands later formed a French colony, with a population largely Muslim. Mayotte, Nossi-Bé and the Comoros were made an Apostolic prefecture and confided to the

Fathers of the Holy Ghost The Congregation of the Holy Spirit ( la, Congregatio Sancti Spiritus) abbreviated CSSp), in full the Congregation of the Holy Spirit under the protection of the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary () is a male religious congregation of the Catho ...

. In 1898, when the same missionaries were given the ecclesiastical administration of Northern Madagascar, these smaller islands and Santa Maria were attached to the then Apostolic Vicariate of Diégo-Suarez. Santa Maria and Nossi-Bé had resident missionaries. Wikisource:Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Mayotte, Nossi-Bé, and Comoro * June 14, 1938: Renamed as Apostolic Prefecture of Ambanja * Promoted on March 8, 1951 as Apostolic Vicariate of Ambanja * Promoted on September 14, 1955 as Diocese of Ambanja, yet remains dependent in Rome on the missionary

Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship. Congregation may also refer to: * Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship *Congregation (Roman Curia), an administr ...

* On 5 June 1975, it lost its original missionary territory (modern

Comoros The Comoros,, ' officially the Union of the Comoros,; ar, الاتحاد القمري ' is an independent country made up of three islands in southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. It ...

and

) to establish the exempt Apostolic Administration of the Comoros Archipelago.

Incumbent Ordinaries

:''all

Roman Rite The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the Latin language in the city of Rome and, while dist ...

(Latin)'' ; ''Apostolic Prefect of Mayotte, Nosy-Be and Comore'' * Friar

Callisto Lopinot Callisto most commonly refers to: *Callisto (mythology), a nymph *Callisto (moon), a moon of Jupiter Callisto may also refer to: Art and entertainment *''Callisto series'', a sequence of novels by Lin Carter *''Callisto'', a novel by Torsten Kro ...

, Capuchin Franciscans (O.F.M. Cap.) (1932.05.15 – 1937) ; Apostolic Prefect ''of Ambanja'' * Fr. Léon-Adolphe Messmer, O.F.M. Cap. (1937.11.12 – 1951.03.08 ''see below'') ; ''Apostolic Vicar ''of Ambanja * Bishop Léon-Adolphe Messmer, O.F.M. Cap.,

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

Coropissus Coropassus or Koropassos ( grc, Κοροπασσός), also known as Coropissus or Koropissos (Κοροπισσός) as the name appears on its coins, was a town of ancient Lycaonia, inhabited in Roman times. Strabo says that the boundary between t ...

(''see above'' 1951.03.08 – 1955.09.14 ''see below'') ;''Suffragan Bishops'' of Ambanja * Léon-Adolphe Messmer, O.F.M. Cap. (''see above'' 1955.09.14 – 1975.06.05), later permanent Apostolic Administrator of

Comores The Comoros,, ' officially the Union of the Comoros,; ar, الاتحاد القمري ' is an independent country made up of three islands in southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. I ...

(Comoros) (1975.06.05 – 1980.05.02) *

Ferdinand Botsy Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...

O.F.M. Cap. The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM) ...

(1976.07.08 – 1997.10.25) *

Odon Marie Arsène Razanakolona Odon Marie Arsène Razanakolona (born 24 May 1946, in Fianarantsoa) is the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Antananarivo in Antananarivo, Madagascar. He was ordained priest on 28 December 1975 and earned a doctorate in canon law from the Ponti ...

(1998.11.28 – 2005.12.07), later Metropolitan Archbishop of Antananarivo (Madagascar) (2005.12.07 – ...), **'' remaining

Apostolic Administrator An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...

(2005.12.07 – 2007.11.07) *

Rosario Saro Vella Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the west bank of the Paraná River. Rosario is the third-most populous ci ...

, Salesians (S.D.B.) (2007.11.07 – 2019.07.08), appointed Bishop of Moramanga *

Donatien Francis Randriamalala Donatien is a masculine given name of French origin. People with that name include: * Amédée Donatien Doublemard (1826–1900), French sculptor and medalist * Donatien Alphonse François de Sade, (1740–1814), French nobleman, revolutionary po ...

, M.S. (2022.11.11 – ...)

References

Sources and External Links

GCatholic.org with incumbent bio links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ambanja, Diocese Roman Catholic dioceses in Madagascar Catholic Church in the Comoros Catholic Church in Madagascar Catholic Church in Mayotte Religion in Diana Region Ambanja Religious organizations established in 1848 Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 19th century 1938 establishments in Madagascar Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Antsiranana

History

Incumbent Ordinaries

See also

References

Sources and External Links