AFRICA/CAMEROON - Bishop of Ebolowa-Kribi appointed

Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has, 15 October 2004, appointed Bishop of Ebolowa-Kribi (Cameroon) Reverend Jean Mbarga, Vicar general of the archdiocese Yaounde (Cameroon).
The Bishop elect was born on 18 May 1956 at Ebolmedzo (Archdiocese of Yaounde). He studied for the priesthood at Nkolbison major seminary and then in Strasbourg, France and in Rome at the Alfonsiana Academy for a Doctorate in moral theology specialising in Bio-ethics. He was ordained a priest on 5 December 1981 for the archdiocese of Yaounde and has since been assistant priest (1982-1983); diocesan and national chaplain for Lay Apostolate (1984-1985). After more studies in Rome (1985-1992) he was Rector of Nkolbison seminary (1992-2002), diocesan bursar (2002-2003), Vicar general (2004) and a Consultor of the Pontifical Councils for Culture (since 1998) and the Laity (since 2001).
Ebolowa-Kribi diocese, a suffragan of the archdiocese of Yaounde, is in the south of Cameroon and it borders on Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. It has an area of 27.280 sq. km., a population of, 425.000, including 300.000 Catholics, gathered in 25 parishes, assisted by 65 priests (59 diocesan and 6 religious), 6 Brothers 48 women religious and there are 31 major seminarians (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 15/10/2004; Righe 15; Parole 186)