Archdiocese of Rabaul


The Archdiocese of Rabaul is a Latin Catholic metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea.
Its episcopal see is shared between Sacred Heart Cathedral in Vunapope and Saint Francis Xavier Co-Cathedral in Rabaul.
The current Archbishop of Rabaul is Rochus Josef Tatamai, M.S.C., who was appointed by Pope Francis on June 19, 2020,

History

In 1844, the Apostolic Vicariate of Melanesia was established with territory split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Western Oceania.
On 8 December 1890, a new jurisdiction was carved from this, the Apostolic Vicariate of New Pomerania.
It lost territories repeatedly :
On 14 November 1922, it was renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Rabaul.
On 5 July 1957, it lost territory again to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Kavieng.
On 15 November 1966, the diocese became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Rabaul.
On 4 July 2003, it lost territory to establish the another suffragan Diocese of Kimbe.

Province

Its ecclesiastical province comprises, besides the Metropolitan's Archdiocese, the following suffragan bishoprics :

Bishops

Ordinaries

; Apostolic Vicars of Melanesia
; Apostolic Vicars of New Britain
; Apostolic Vicar of new Pomerania
  • Louis Couppé, M.S.C.
; Apostolic Vicars of Rabaul
; Metropolitan Archbishops of Rabaul

Coadjutor archbishop

Auxiliary bishops

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops