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Pope Appoints New Bishops for Dioceses in Burundi, Chad

Bishop Georges Bizimana (Right), Newly Appointed Bishop of Ngonzi Diocese, Burundi and Bishop-elect Fr. Nicolas Nadji Bab (Left) of Lai Diocese in Chad.

Pope Francis on Tuesday, December 17 appointed Bishop Georges Bizimana who has been the coadjutor of Burundi’s Bonanza Diocese as the new Bishop of Ngonzi Diocese, located in the central part of the landlocked nation that is the meeting point between the African Great Lakes region and East Africa.

Bishop Bizimana was born on March 12, 1965 in the Diocese of Ngozi. He was ordained a priest of the same diocese in August 1994. Pope Francis appointed him the coadjutor of Bubanza Diocese, northwestern Burundi in December 2013.

The Prelate holds a doctorate in Moral Theology from Alphonsian Academy in Rome.

Among the positions the Prelate has held include that of teaching at the Theological Jean Paul II Major Seminary of Gitega in the central part of the country as well as Rector of the same seminary.

The Diocese of Ngozi started as an Apostolic Vicariate in July 1949, before it was elevated to the rank of a diocese on November 10, 1959.

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The diocese measures 2,707 square kilometres and, according to 2017 statistics, has an estimated population of about 1.2 million Catholics.

On Sunday, December 14, the Holy Father appointed Fr. Nicolas Nadji Bab as the new Bishop of Lai Diocese located in south west Chad.

Until his appointment, the 50-year-old Bishop-elect was the Diocesan Administrator of the same diocese.

A native of Lai diocese, he was ordained to priesthood in May 2002.

He holds a Master’s degree in International Cooperation and Development obtained from the University of Santander in Spain.

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Established in November 1998, Lai Diocese measures 18,050 square kilometres and has a Catholic population of about 130,000 as per 2017 statistics.