AFRICA/MADAGASCAR – TOLIARA NEW ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE, FIRST ARCHBISHOP MGR FULGENCE RABEONY

Vatican City (Fides Service) – The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has (14 November 2003) created the new ecclesiastical province of Toliara detaching it from the ecclesiastical province of Fianarantsoa (Madagascar). The new ecclesiastical province will include the dioceses of Morombe, Morondava, Tolagnaro.
The Holy Father has appointed (14 November 2003) first Metropolitan Archbishop of Tolirara, Mgr Fulgence Rabeony SJ, until now Bishop of the same diocese.
The new ecclesiastical province of Toliara will comprise the south west region of Madagascar and it will embrace the province of the same name and have three suffragan dioceses Morombe, Morondava, Tolagnaro.
Toliara diocese (1957) was evangelised in 1845 by the Jesuits and the Lazarists. It has an area of 43,570 sq km, and a population of 750,000, of whom 86,000 are Catholics, gathered in 15 parishes, 120 mission centres, cared for by 38 priests (10 diocesan and 28 Religious), 240 women religious and 22 major seminarians. (Fides Service 3/12/2003 EM lines 15 Words: 170)