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

Koumra, 14 August, 2023 / 8:45 PM

Pope Francis has erected the Diocese of Koumra as a new Episcopal See in Chad and appointed Mons. Samuel Mbairabé Tibingar as its pioneer Bishop.

The latest administrative changes in the North Central African nation were made public by the Holy See Press office in its Saturday, August 12 publication. 

The newly erected Diocese that is a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of N’Djaména coincides with the civil province of Mandoul, of which Koumra is its principal city.

Koumra  Diocese measures 17,330 square kilometers and has a population of 900,000 of which 124,083 are Catholics representing 4.86 percent of the total population, according to the Holy See report. 

Mons. Mbairabé, who until his appointment has been the vicar general of the Archdiocese of N’Djaména, was born in July 1972  in Sarh.

He was ordained a Priest for N’Djaména Archdiocese in November 2005 after completing his  theological and philosophical studies at St. Luke de Bakara Interdiocesan Major Seminary in N’Djaména.

Mons. Mbairabé holds a Licentiate in sacred scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and a doctorate from the Theological Faculty of Central Italy in Florence.

Since his Priestly ordination, the Bishop-elect has served in various capacities, including deputy Parish Priest of the Cathedral of N’Djaména; Parish Priest of St. Paul de Kabalaye in N’Djaména ; and collaborator in the Santi Martino e Giusto parish in Lucardo Alto, Florence.

He also served as formator at the Interdiocesan Major Seminary of Sarh, and then rector in 2017.

After his Episcopal Ordination, the Bishop-elect is to oversee the newly erected Diocese with St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus Church as the Cathedral.