Diocese of Kikwit
The Diocese of Kikwit is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church located in the city of Kikwit in the ecclesiastical province of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
History
- Established 18 April 1893 as Mission sui iuris of Kwango, on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Léopoldville
- Promoted on 31 January 1903 as Apostolic Prefecture of Kwango
- Gained territory in March 1921 from the Apostolic Vicariate of Upper Kasai
- Promoted on 28 March 1928 to Apostolic Vicariate of Kwango, hence entitled to a titular bishop
- Lost territory repeatedly:
- * On 1 April 1931 to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Kisantu,
- * On 28 January 1935 to the same;
- * On 13 April 1937 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Ipamu
- * On 25 April 1939 to the same.
- * On 24 May 1950: to the Apostolic Vicariate of Léopoldville
- Renamed on 21 February 1955 as the Apostolic Vicariate of Kikwit
- Lost territory on 5 July 1957 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Kenge
- Promoted on 10 November 1959 as Diocese of Kikwit
Bishops
Ordinaries
; Ecclesiastical superiors of the mission sui iuris of Kwango; Apostolic Prefects of Kwango
- Julien Banckaert
- Stanislas de Vos, Society of Jesus
- Silvain van Hee, S.J., Titular Bishop of Possala
- Enrico van Schingen, S.J., Titular Bishop of Phelbes
- André Lefèbvre, S.J., Titular Bishop of Raphanea
- André Lefèbvre, S.J., later Titular Bishop of Thucca Terebenthina
- Alexander Mbuka-Nzundu, previously Titular Bishop of Cataquas & Auxiliary Bishop of Kikwit
- Édouard Mununu Kasiala, O.C.S.O., also Apostolic Administrator of Popokabaka ; previously Titular Bishop of Aquæ Flaviæ & Auxiliary Bishop of Kikwit
- Timothée Bodika Mansiyai, P.S.S.
Coadjutor vicars apostolic
- Charles Dauvin, S.J., died without being consecrated
- Joseph Guffens, S.J.
Auxiliary bishops
- Alexander Mbuka-Nzundu, appointed Bishop here
- Marie-Édouard Mununu, O.C.S.O., appointed Bishop here