AFRICA/ANGOLA - Creation of ecclesiastical province of Malanje and appointment of first Archbishop

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father Benedict XVI, on 12 April 2011, created the new ecclesiastical province of Malanje (area 107,000, population 1,090,000, Catholics 500,000, priests 49, religious 140) Angola, raising it to the rank of Metropolitan Church. The new ecclesiastical province will have as suffragans the dioceses of Uije and Ndalatando. He appointed Bishop Lius Maria Perez de Onraita Aguirre of the same diocese as metropolitan archbishop of the new circumscription. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 12/04/2011)