Chronology of Catholic Dioceses:Notes on the Apostolic Prefecture of Katanga, 1910

Our sources give conflicting information as to how this jurisdiction was erected.

- From AV Tanganyika? - «Le 6 août 1910 création de la Préfecture Apostolique du Katanga, par division du Vicariat Apostolique du Tanganyika (....) (Pères Blancs) et confiée aux Bénédictins de Saint André de Zevenkerten lez-Bruges.» Source: AECZ.

- From AV Belgian Congo? «KATANGA.-This mission was separated from the Vicariate Apostolic of Belgian Congo on 5 Aug., 1910. Its boundaries were fixed as follows: on the west, the Lualaba and the Luvua as far as Lake Moero, thence eastward along the Luapula to Lake Banguelo. From the source of the Luapula to the source of the Lualaba, the eastern and southern boundary of the prefecture is the Congo-Rhodesian frontier. The mission is entrusted to the Brazilian Congregation of the Benedictines of the Abbey of Saint-André, of Lophem-lés-Bruges, Belgium; as it is intended to erect the mission into an abbacy nullius. Three Benedictine priests and two lay brothers left Belgium for the mission on 18 Aug., 1910. The first prefect Apostolic is Dom Jean de Hemptinne, appointed, Aug., 1910.» Source: CE, http://newadvent.org/cathen/16067c.htm

Unfortunately, neither option is impossible. The Belgian Congo option seems more natural, geographically, but the CE sometimes contains errors. The Katanga link is also indicated by Huiskamp, but without sources or details. Whether the AECZ contains errors, we do not know, but it is also a scholarly work.

- CT

av Webmaster publisert 08.09.2004, sist endret 08.09.2004 - 12:10