The Archdiocese of Kinshasa (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

: ''Archidioecesis Kinshasana'';

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: ''Archidiocèse de Kinshasa'') is an

archdiocese In 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 provinces were administratively associate ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

. Its ecclesiastic territory includes the capital city of

Kinshasa Kinshasa (; ; ln, Kinsásá), formerly Léopoldville ( nl, Leopoldstad), is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once a site of fishing and trading villages situated along the Congo River, Kinshasa is now one o ...

and surrounding districts. The

is the

metropolitan see Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a t ...

for the Ecclesiastical Province of Kinshasa. The current

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

Fridolin Ambongo Besungu Fridolin Ambongo Besungu OFMCap (born 24 January 1960) is a Congolese prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been the Archbishop of Kinshasa since his appointment on 1 November 2018. He has been a bishop since 2004 and before becoming Archbishop ...

. Established as the Apostolic Vicariate of the

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (french: Congo belge, ; nl, Belgisch-Congo) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964. Colo ...

by Pope Leo XIII in 1888, it was raised to the status of an archdiocese in 1959. In 1966, its name was changed from the Archdiocese of Léopoldville to the Archdiocese of Kinshasa. Today, the archdiocese covers a territory of 8,500 km² (3,283 sq mi) and, as of 2016, has a total population of 11,323,000, of whom 6,378,000 (56.3%) are Catholic. The archdiocese is served by 1,208 priests, including 238 diocesan priests and 970 religious priests, 1,661 male religious (including religious priests and brothers), and 1,982 religious sisters. The archdiocese has 143 parishes, including the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Congo in Kinshasa.

History

The archdiocese was established on 22 November 1886 as the '' Mission sui iuris'' of the

, from territory taken from both the

Apostolic Prefecture of Lower Congo The Apostolic Prefecture of Lower Congo (or Apostolic Prefecture of Portuguese Congo) was a Roman Catholic pre-diocesan missionary jurisdiction in Central Africa's Congo basin. History The Apostolic Prefecture of Lower Congo, an exempt jurisdict ...

(in Cubango, Angola) and the Apostolic Vicariate of Two Guineas (in Gabon). It was promoted on 11 May 1888 as the Apostolic Vicariate of Belgian Congo. Over time, it lost territory repeatedly: to establish the ''Mission sui juris'' of Kwango on 18 April 1892, the Apostolic Prefecture of Uélé on 12 May 1898, the ''Mission sui juris'' of Kasaï Supérieur on 26 July 1901, the Apostolic Prefecture of Stanley Falls on 3 August 1904, the

Apostolic Prefecture of Ubangui Belge The Roman Catholic Diocese of Molegbe ( la, Molegben(sis)) is a suffragan Latin diocese in the Ecclesiastical province of Mbandaka-Bikoro in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its cathedral episcopal see is Cathédrale Saint-Antoine-de-Padou ...

on 7 April 1911, and the Apostolic Prefecture of Matadi and the

Apostolic Prefecture of Northern Katanga The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kongolo ( la, Kongoloën(sis)) is a Latin suffragan diocese in the Ecclesiastical province of Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its cathedral episcopal see is Cathédrale Sacré-Coeur-de-Marie (ded ...

on 1 July 1911. On 3 April 1919, it was renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Léopoldville. It lost territory several times more: to establish the ''Mission sui juris'' of Bikoro on 3 January 1931, the Apostolic Vicariate of Boma on 26 February 1934, the

Apostolic Prefecture of Kole The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kole ( la, Kolen(sis)) is a diocese located in the city of Kole in the Ecclesiastical province of Kananga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is coterminous with the '' Territoires'' ("counties") of Kole, D ...

on 14 June 1951, and the Apostolic Vicariate of Inongo on 29 June 1953. It was elevated on 10 November 1959 as the Archdiocese of Léopoldville, when the city was soon to become the national capital of the newly independent

Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...

. It was renamed the Archdiocese of Kinshasa on 30 May 1966, when the city's name was changed from Léopoldville to

. The archdiocese was visited by Pope John Paul II in May 1980 and again in August 1985.

Bishops

Ordinaries

;''Apostolic Vicars of the Belgian Congo'' *François Camille Van Ronslé,

C.I.C.M. The CICM Missionaries officially named as the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary ( la, Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae) abbreviated C.I.C.M, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men established in ...

(1896-1919); ''see below'' ;''Apostolic Vicars of Léopoldville'' *François Camille Van Ronslé, C.I.C.M. (1919-1926); ''see above'' *Natale de Cleene, C.I.C.M. (1926-1932) * Georges Six, C.I.C.M. (1934-1952) *Félix Scalais, C.I.C.M. (1953-1959); ''see below'' ;''Archbishops of Léopoldville'' *Félix Scalais, C.I.C.M. (1959-1964); ''see above'' * Joseph Malula (1964-1966); future Cardinal; ''see below'' ;''Archbishops of Kinshasa'' * Joseph Malula (1966-1989) (Cardinal in 1969); ''see above'' *

Frédéric Etsou-Nzabi-Bamungwabi Frédéric Etsou-Nzabi-Bamungwabi, C.I.C.M. (; 3 December 1930, Belgian Congo – 6 January 2007, Leuven, Belgium) was cardinal and Archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He was the DRC's foremost Catholic prelat ...

, C.I.C.M. (1990-2007) (Cardinal in 1991) * Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya (2007-2018) (Cardinal in 2010) *

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) ...

(2018–present) (Cardinal in 2019)

Coadjutor bishops

* Noël de Cleene, C.I.C.M. (1924-1926), as Coadjutor vicar apostolic *

, O.F.M. Cap. (2018); future Cardinal

Auxiliary Bishops of Kinshasa

*Joseph Malula (1959-1964), appointed Archbishop here; future Cardinal *

Eugène Moke Motsüri Eugène Moke Motsüri (25 March 1916 – 6 April 2015) was a Democratic Republic of the Congo prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was one of the oldest living bishops and the oldest bishop in Africa until his death on 6 April 2015. Motsüri ...

(1970-1991) *Tharcisse Tshibangu Tshishiku (1970-1991), appointed Bishop of Mbujimayi *Dominique Bulamatari (1999-2009), appointed Bishop of Molegbe *Edouard Kisonga Ndinga, S.S.S. (1999–present) *

Daniel Nlandu Mayi Daniel Nlandu Mayi (19 October 1953 – 12 December 2021) was a Congolese Roman Catholic prelate. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kinshasa from 1999 to 2008. He was then appointed the Bishop of the Roman ...

(1999-2008), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Matadi *Timothée Bodika Mansiyai, P.S.S. (2012-2016), appointed Bishop of Kikwit *Sébastien-Joseph Muyengo Mulombe (2012-2013), appointed Bishop of Uvira *Donatien Bafuidinsoni Maloko-Mana, S.J. (2015-2018), appointed Bishop of Inongo *

Jean-Pierre Kwambamba Masi Jean-Pierre Kwambamba Masi (born 9 August 1960) is a Democratic Republic of the Congo Roman Catholic bishop. Kwambamba Masi was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and was ordained to the priesthood in 1986. He served as a papal master ...

(2015-2018), appointed Bishop of Kenge * Jean-Crispin Kimbeni Ki Kanda (2020-), elect *

Charles Ndaka Salabisala Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...

(2020-), elect * Vincent Tshomba Shamba Kotsho (2020-), elect

Suffragan dioceses

The Archdiocese of Kinshasa is the metropolitan archdiocese of the

Ecclesiastical Province of Kinshasa {{Short pages monitor