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Pope Francis Appoints New Local Ordinary for Molegbe Catholic Diocese in DR Congo

Jude Atemanke

By Jude Atemanke

Kinshasa, 15 April, 2025 / 8:52 pm (ACI Africa).

The Holy Father has appointed Mons. Joseph Mopepe Ngongo as the new Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Molegbe in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The appointment of the member of the Clergy of the same Congolese Episcopal See, who is a doctoral candidate in theology at the Catholic University of Congo (UCC), was made public on Tuesday, April 15, by the Holy See Press Office.

The Congolese Diocese became vacant in August 2023 following the early retirement of Bishop Dominique Bulamatari Kizayakana; he had been appointed to the Diocese in November 2009, from the Catholic Archdiocese of Kinshasa, where he had been serving as Auxiliary Bishop. Bishop Bulamatari passed on in August 2024 at the age of 69.

Bishop Joseph-Bernard Likolo Bokal’Etumba of the Catholic Diocese of Lisala has been overseeing the Congolese Episcopal See as Apostolic Administrator.

Born in July 1966 in the Catholic Diocese of Molegbe, Mons. Ngongo was ordained a Priest in March 1995 after completing his Priestly studies in philosophy at St. Jean-Baptiste Major Seminary of Bamanya and theology at UCC.

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As a Priest, the holder of a licentiate in theology from the UCC served as Formator and Rector of the Saints Pierre et Paul Interdiocesan Major Seminary in Lisala.

In 2011, he started his doctoral studies in France, where he also served as Vicar of Notre Dame St. Jacques Catholic Parish of Reims Catholic Archdiocese.

Mons. Ngongo was moderator of the parishes of the Espace missionnaire Sedan-Yvois and chaplain of the Equipes du Rosaire of the French Metropolitan See.

In 2024, he returned to the DRC to continue with his doctoral studies at UCC in Kinshasa.

In a statement issued following the April 15 Episcopal appointment, members of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) have extended “warmest congratulations” to the Bishop-elect, wishing him “a fruitful ministry in the Church-Family of God in Molegbe.”

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Once Consecrated Bishop, Mons. Ngongo will become the eighth Local Ordinary of the Congolese Diocese that measures 79,000 km² with an estimated population of 948,728 Catholics, representing 53.8 percent of the total population, according to 2023 statistics.

The Diocese that was erected in January 1935 as Apostolic Vicariate of Belgian Ubanghi before being elevated to a Diocese in November 1959 is part of the Ecclesiastical Province of Mbandaka-Bikoro.

Jude Atemanke

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.

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