Pope Francis Erects New Catholic Diocese in Guinea, Appoints Pioneer Local Ordinary

Conakry, 22 February, 2024 / 8:14 PM

Pope Francis has erected the Diocese of Boké in Guinea and appointed Mons. Moïse Tinguiano, of the clergy of Conakry Archdiocese as its pioneer Bishop. 

The latest administrative changes in the West African nation were made public by the Holy See Press office in its Thursday, February 22 publication. 

The Holy Father erected the Diocese of Boké with territory dismembered from the Archdiocese of Conakry, making it a suffragan of the Metropolitan See.

The newly erected Guinean Diocese measures 27,908 square kilometers and has a population of 1,153,909 of which 10,225 are Catholic faithful, representing 0.88 percent of the total population of the territory of the Diocese, according to the Holy See report.

Mons. Tinguiano, who until his appointment has been the Parish Priest of Saint Augustin of Taouyah in Conakry Archdiocese, professor in the Benoît XVI Seminary, and director of La Voix de la Paix Catholic radio station was born in December 1977.

He entered the Saint-Jean XXIII Preparatory Seminary in Kindia and was ordained a Priest in 2006 after completing his philosophical and theological studies at the Saint Augustin Samayah Major Seminary in Bamako, Mali.

Since his Priestly ordination, the Bishop-elect has served in various capacities, including parish vicar of Cristo-Re in Fria and Parish Priest of Sacred Heart and Saint Peter in Sangaredi.

The alumnus of the Salesian Pontifical University where he obtained a doctorate in catechetical theology and youth pastoral ministry has also carried out pastoral activity in the Diocese of Vittorio Veneto in Italy and the Diocese of Città del Castello in Italy.

After his Episcopal Ordination, the Bishop-elect is to oversee the newly erected Diocese, which has 6 parishes, 11 Diocesan Priests, and one religious Priest, according to the February 22 Holy See report.