AFRICA/DR CONGO - Resignation and appointment of bishop of Basankusu

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father Francis has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Basankusu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, presented by Bishop Joseph Mokobe Ndjoku.
The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Libère Pwongo Bope, of the clergy of Kinshasa, until now chancellor secretary of the archdiocese of Kinshasa, as bishop of the diocese of Basankusu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Msgr. Libère Pwongo Bope was born on 21 May 1964 in Mweka. After his studies in philosophy at the Saint André Kaggwa Major Seminary and in theology at the Saint Jean XXIII Major Seminary of Kinshasa, he was ordained a priest on 4 January 1992 for the archdiocese of Kinshasa.
After ordination, he first obtained a licentiate in philosophy in Kinshasa (1991-1993), and served as formator and professor in the Saint André Kaggwa Major Seminary (1993-1996), academic secretary in the same Seminary (1996-1999), private secretary to the archbishop of Kinshasa (1993-1999), chancellor-secretary of the archdiocese of Kinshasa (1999-2006), and administrator of the Saint Paul parish in Evry in France (2007-2012). He was awarded a doctorate in philosophy from the Institut Catholique de Paris (2007-2013), and went on to hold the roles of rector of the Saint André Kaggwa Major Seminary and professor at the Université Catholique du Congo (2013-2020), parish priest of Saint Albert in Kinshasa (2020-2021), fidei donum missionary in Central Africa and parish priest in the archdiocese of Bangui (2021-2023). Since 2023 he has been chancellor secretary of the archdiocese of Kinshasa. (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 11/11/2023)