Jean-Baptiste-Frézal Charbonnier, M.Afr. (20 May 1842 – 16 March 1888) was a Catholic

White Fathers The White Fathers (), officially known as the Missionaries of Africa (), and abbreviated MAfr, are a Roman Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right (for men). They were founded in 1868 by Charles-Martial Allemand-Lavigerie, who w ...

missionary who was Vicar Apostolic of Tanganyika from January 1887 to March 1888. Jean-Baptiste-Frézal Charbonnier was born on 20 May 1842 in

La Canourgue La Canourgue (; ) is a commune in the Lozère department in southern France. In 1973 it absorbed three former communes: Auxillac, La Capelle and Montjézieu. It is sometimes referred to in French as "''La petite Venise lozérienne''", the ''Lit ...

, France. He was ordained a priest of the White Fathers (Society of the Missionaries of Africa) on 22 May 1869. On 3 October 1884 the ''Missions Catholiques'' announced that it was proposed to consecrate Charbonnier, former principal of the missionary training college at

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

, as Bishop and Vicar Apostolic of Tanganyika.

Léon Livinhac Léon-Antoine-Augustin-Siméon Livinhac, M.Afr. (13 July 1846 - 12 November 1922) was a Catholic priest who established the church in what is modern Uganda and became head of the White Fathers (Society of the Missionaries of Africa). He oversaw a ...

had already been consecrated as Bishop and Vicar Apostolic of Nyanza on 16 September 1884. The two were to set out for their dioceses with a large staff. Charbonnier was stationed at Karema on the east shore of

Lake Tanganyika Lake Tanganyika ( ; ) is an African Great Lakes, African Great Lake. It is the world's List of lakes by volume, second-largest freshwater lake by volume and the List of lakes by depth, second deepest, in both cases after Lake Baikal in Siberia. ...

when the French soldier Captain

Léopold Louis Joubert Léopold Louis Joubert (or Ludovic Joubert) (22 February 1842 – 27 May 1927) was a French soldier and lay missionary. He fought for the Papal States between 1860 and 1870 during the Italian unification, which he opposed. He later assisted the Wh ...

arrived on 22 November 1886, on his way to provide assistance to the station of

Mpala Mpala is the location of an early Catholic mission in the Belgian Congo. A military station was established at Mpala on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in May 1883. It was transferred to the White Fathers missionaries in 1885. At one time it was hop ...

on the opposite shore of the lake. Joubert remained there for some months at the request of Charbonnier to protect the mission against attacks by slavers. On 14 January 1887 Charbonnier was appointed Titular Bishop of Utica and Vicar Apostolic of Tanganyika (now the Diocese of Sumbawanga). Joubert left for Mpala in March 1887. Charbonnier had given him full authority as civil and military ruler of the Mpala region. Charbonnier was ordained bishop by his friend Bishop

on 24 August 1887 at Kipalapala. He was the first bishop to be ordained in equatorial Africa. Charbonnier died at Karema on 16 March 1888.

Léonce Bridoux Léonce Bridoux, M. Afr. (15 January 1852 – 20 October 1890) was a Catholic missionary of the White Fathers who became the Vicar Apostolic of Tanganyika. Early years Léonce Bridoux was born on 15 January 1852 in Henin-Liétard, France. His f ...

was asked to succeed him.

References

Citations Sources * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Charbonnier, Jean-Baptiste-Frezal 1842 births 1888 deaths 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Tanzania White Fathers priests French Roman Catholic bishops in Africa Roman Catholic bishops of Sumbawanga