Chronology of Catholic Dioceses:Notes on the new Ecclesiastical Provinces of Burkina Faso, 2001

The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has, created (December 5, 2000) the Ecclesiastical Province of Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso) elevating as a Metropolitan Church the same Bishops’ See, assigning to it as suffragans the dioceses of Banfora, Dedougou, Diebougou and Nouna, and on the same day created the Ecclesiastical Province of Koupela (Burkina Faso) elevating as a Metropolitan Church the same Bishops’ See, assigning to it as suffragans the dioceses of Fada N’Gourma and Kaya.

The division of Ouagadougou ecclesiastical province into three provinces was made for the following reasons:

• to facilitate administrative and judiciary questions in the diocese and allow more articulated and specific pastoral
• to increase among Catholics awareness of identity and importance
• to increase missionary cooperation among sister Churches in the same ecclesiastical province.

Here are the three Provinces after the division:

Ouagadougou

The present metropolitan see of Ouagadougou, situated in the centre of the country, will remain with three suffragan dioceses: Koudougou, Manga and Ouahigouya, respectively situated west, south and north of Ouagadougou. The limited territory of the new ecclesiastical province corresponds to the civil districts of Bam, Yatenga, Sourou, Passore, Boulkiemde, Sissili, Zoundweogo, Naouri, Bazega, Kadiogo, Oubritenga. The people are mainly members of the Mossi tribe, the largest group in Burkina Faso found mainly in the centre of the country.

Bobo-Dioulasso

The new ecclesiastical province of Bobo-Dioulasso, situated in the west of the country will have four suffragan dioceses, Banfora, Dedougou, Diebougou, Nouna. Banfra is south of Bobo-Dioulaaso, Diebougou is south-west, Dedougou and Nouna are respectively north-east and north of Bobo-Dioulasso. Bobo-Dioulasso is the second most important centre in the country and it is also a reference point for the west of Burkina Faso. Now the limited territory of the new ecclesiastical province of Bobo-Dioulasso extends to the following civil provinces: Mouhoun, Houet, Kenedougou, Comoe, Leraba, Kosso, Bougouriba, Poni.

Koupela

The new ecclesiastical province of Koupela, situated in eastern Burkina Faso, will have two suffragan dioceses: Fada N’Gourma and Kaya. The first is east of Kouplea on the border with Niger and Benin, the second is north of Koupela. The new province extends to the following civil provinces: Boulgou, Ganzourgou, Kourtenga, Namentenga, Gnagna, Sanmatenga, Tapoa, Seno, Oudalan, Soum.

Source: Fides, January 5th, 2001

-CNy