Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of 68-Year-Old Bishop in DR Congo

Molegbe, 01 August, 2023 / 9:00 PM

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Dominique Bulamatari who has been at the helm of Molegbe Diocese in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The resignation of the 68-year-old Catholic Church leader who has been Bishop of the Congolese Diocese since November 2009 was made public on Tuesday, August 1, and published by the Holy See Press Office.

Catholic Bishops are expected to submit their respective letters of retirement at the age of 75. Compelling reasons such as “ill-health or other grave problems” also justify the submission of such a letter of resignation.

The reasons for the resignation of Bishop Bulamatari who succeeded Bishop Ignace Matondo Kwa Nzambi have not been made public. 

Born in June 1955 in the Archdiocese of Kinshasa, the Bishop was ordained a Priest of the same Archdiocese in April 1980 after completing his philosophical and theological studies.

In October 1999, he was appointed the Auxiliary Bishop of Kinshasa Archdiocese and  Titular Bishop of Elephantaria in Mauretania. He was ordained Bishop in January 2000.

The Diocese of Molegbe, a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Mbandaka-Bikoro, was erected in April 1911 as Vicariate Apostolic of Belgian Congo before being elevated to a diocese in November 1959.

The 79,000 square-kilometer Diocese has a population of 944,440 Catholics representing 53.2 percent of the total population in the Congolese Diocese according to 2021 statistics.