Roman Catholic Diocese of São Tomé and Príncipe

The Roman Catholic Diocese of São Tomé and Príncipe (Latin: Sancti Thomae in Insula) is a diocese, immediately subject to the Holy See, with its seat in the city of São Tomé in São Tomé and Príncipe.^[1][2]

History

The diocese was established on November 3, 1534 as the Diocese of Tomé from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Funchal in Portugal. The diocese once included the Portuguese controlled or Christian areas of the south of Africa all the way to present day South Africa and Mozambique. In 20 May 1596, a part of today's Angola became the Diocese of Angola and Congo what is now the Archdiocese of Luanda. On 21 January 1612, all of the eastern coastal areas that is modern day Mozambique became the Apostolic Administration of Mozambique which is now the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maputo. As it once included Cape Town, from the Dutch takeover in the mid 17th century, a part of the diocese was under that control, later a part was under French and British control during and after the Napoleonic Wars. On 8 June 1818, a part of the diocese separated and became the Apostolic Vicariate of Good Hope which is now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Port Elizabeth. On 22 January 1842, parts of the diocese compromising coastal Gabon which included parts in other European control became the Apostolic Vicariate of the Two Guineas and Senegambia which is now the Archdiocese of Libreville.

In 1924, the diocese was renamed as Diocese of São Tomé. Later in 1957 it was renamed to its current name of the Diocese of São Tomé and Príncipe.

Churches

The cathedral is Sé Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Graça (Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace) in São Tomé.

Bishops

• Bishops of Tomé (Roman rite)
  • Bishop Diogo Ortiz de Vilhegas (1533–1540)
  • Bishop Bernardo da Cruz, O.P. (1540–1553)
  • Bishop Gaspar Cão, O.S.A. (1554–1572)
  • Bishop Martinho de Ulhoa, O. Cist. (1578–1592)
  • Bishop Francisco de Vilanova, O.F.M. (1592–1602)
  • Bishop António Valente, O.P. (1604–1608)
  • Bishop Jerónimo de Quintanilha, O. Cist. (1611–1614)
  • Bishop Pedro de São Agostinho Figueira de Cunha Lobo, O.S.A. (1615–1620)
  • Bishop Francisco de Soveral, O.S.A. (1623.06.10 – 1627.02.08)
  • Bishop Domingos da Assunção, O.P. (1627–1632)
  • Bishop Manoel a Nativitate do Nascimento, O.S.H. (1674–1677)
  • Bishop Bernardo de Santa Maria Zuzarte de Andrade, C.R.S.A. (1677–1680)
  • Bishop Sebastião de São Paulo, O.F.M. (1687–1690)
  • Bishop Timóteo do Sacramento, O.S.P.P.E. (1693.01.02 – 1696.12.17)
  • Bishop António da Penha de França, O.A.D. (1699–1702)
  • Bishop João de Sahagún, O.A.D. (1709–1730)
  • Bishop Leandro de Santo Agostinho da Piedade, O.A.D. (1739–1740)
  • Bishop Tomas Luiz da Conceição, O.A.D. (1742–1744)
  • Bishop Ludovico das Chagas, O.S.A. (1745–1747)
  • Bishop António Nogueira (bishop) (1753–1758)
  • Bishop Vicente do Espirito Santo, O.A.D. (1779.03.01 – 1782.12.17)
  • Bishop Domingo Rosario, O.P. (1782–1788)
  • Bishop Rafael de Castello de Vide, O.F.M. (1794–1800)
  • Bishop Caetano Veloso, O.F.M. (1802.05.24 – 1803.09)
  • Bishop Custodio d'Almeida, O.A.D. (1805.06.26 – 1812.03.23)
  • Bishop Bartholomeu de Martyribus Maya, O.C.D. (1816.03.08 – 1819.11.10)
  • Bishop António José de Souza Barroso (1897.09.15 – 1899.05.20)
• Bishops of São Tomé (Roman rite)
  • Archbishop Moisés Alves de Pinho, C.S.Sp. (1941.01.18 – 1966.11.17)
• Bishops of São Tomé and Príncipe (Roman rite)
  • Archbishop Moisés Alves de Pinho, C.S.Sp. (1941.01.18 – 1966.11.17)
  • Bishop Abílio Rodas de Sousa Ribas, C.S.Sp. (1984.12.03 – 2006.12.01)
  • Bishop Manuel António Mendes dos Santos, C.M.F. (since 2006.12.01)

Ecclesiastical decoration

• Cross of São Tomé (Catholic ecclesiastical decoration)

References

Coordinates: 0°20′26″N 6°44′05″E / 0.3406°N 6.7346°E / 0.3406; 6.7346