Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI on June 1 2006, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the diocese of Bougainville (Papua New Guinea) Rev. Bernard Unabali, Vicar General of the same diocese, assigning to him the titular See of Cuicul.
The Bishop elect was born on 5 May 1957 at Bolioko, Sovelle, on the island of Bougainville. After attending local schools he went to St. Peter Chanel Seminary at Ulapia (1977-1978). In 1979 he spent a spirituality year at Erave and was then sent to Bomana major seminary in Port Moresby to study philosophy and theology. He was ordained a priest on 14 December 1985 at Sovele for the diocese of Bougainville. He obtained a degree in Missiology at the Pontifical Urban University. Since his ordination he has been: parish priest, diocesan head of youth pastoral, formator at the major seminary, teacher of Missiology, vicar general of Bougainville, diocesan vocations director, spiritual director of Bougainville Catholic Women’s Association, director of Mabiri Ministri Skul and pastoral co-ordinator, director of Central Bougainville Pastoral Team.
The diocese of Bougainville, created in 1966, is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Rabaul. It has an area of 11,230sq km, a population of 185,000 of whom 148,900 are Catholics (80,4%), there are 32 parishes, 26 priests (17 diocesan and 9 religious), 15 Brothers, 48 Sisters, 32 major seminarians. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 3/6/2006; Righe 17; Parole 223)
