# Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rabaul

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rabaul is a Latin Rite Metropolitan Archdiocese in Papua New Guinea.
It has its cathedral episcopal see Sacred Heart Cathedral in Vunapope and a Co-Cathedral, St Francis Xavier's Co-Cathedral, in Rabaul.
On June 19, 2020, Rochus Josef Tatamai, M.S.C. was appointed the new archbishop.

## History

In 1844, it was established as Apostolic Vicariate of Melanesia (a pre-diocesan jurisdiction, entitled to a titular bishop and exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See) on territory split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Western Oceania.
On 8 December 1890, it was renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of New Pomerania.
It lost territories repeatedly, to establish :
* on 1896.02.24 the Apostolic Prefecture of Kaiser-Wilhelms-Land
* on 1897.06.28 the Apostolic Vicariate of Gilbert Islands
* on 1897.07.27 the Apostolic Prefecture of British Solomons
* on 1898.05.23 the Apostolic Prefecture of German Solomon Islands (now its suffragan diocese Bougainville)
* in 1905 the Mission sui juris of Marshall Islands.
On 14 November 1922, it was renamed after its see as Apostolic Vicariate of Rabaul.
On 5 July 1957, it lost territory again to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Kavieng (now its suffragan diocese).
On 15 November 1966, it was promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Rabaul.
On 4 July 2003, it lost territory to establish another suffragan see, the Diocese of Kimbe.

## Province

Its ecclesiastical province comprises, besides the Metropolitan's Archdiocese, the following suffragan bishoprics :
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Bougainville
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Kavieng
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimbe.

## Bishops

(all Roman Rite; so far missionary members of Latin congregations)

### Ordinaries
#### Apostolic Vicars of Melanesia

* Jean Baptiste Epalle, Marists (S.M.) (1844.07.19 – death 1845.12.19), Titular Bishop of Sion (1844.07.19 – 1845.12.19)
* Jean Georges Collomb, S.M. (1846.02.19 – death 1848.07.16), Titular Bishop of Antiphellus (1846.02.19 – 1848.07.16)
* Father Paolo Reina, Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions M.E.M. (1852.01.11 – death 1861.03.14)
* Louis-André Navarre, Sacred Heart Missionaries (M.S.C.) (1887.05.17 – 1889.05.10), Titular Bishop of Pentacomia (1887.05.17 – 1888.08.17); later Titular Archbishop of Cyrrhus (1888.08.17 – 1912.01.17), Apostolic Vicar of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea) (1889.05.10 – retired 1908.01)

#### Apostolic Vicars of New Britain

* Stanislas Henri Verjus, M.S.C. (1889.05.10 – 1889.12.28), Titular Bishop of Limyra (1889.05.10 – 1892.11.13), later Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea) (1889.12.28 – 1892.11.13)
* Louis Couppé, M.S.C. (1889.12.28 – 1890.12.08 see below), Titular Bishop of Lerus (1889.12.28 – 1925.12.18)

#### Apostolic Vicar of new Pomerania

* Louis Couppé, M.S.C. (see above 1890.12.08 – 1922.11.14 see below)

#### Apostolic Vicars of Rabaul

* Louis Couppé, M.S.C. (see below 1922.11.14 – retired 1923), on emeritate promoted as Titular Archbishop of Hierapolis (1925.12.18 – 1926.07.20)
* Gerard Vesters (Gerardo Vesters), M.S.C. (1923.02.16 – 1938), Titular Bishop of Diocletianopolis in Palæstina (1923.02.16 – death 1954.08.30); previously Prefect Apostolic of Celebes (Indonesia) (1919.12 – 1923.02.16)
* Leo Isidore Scharmach, M.S.C. (1939.06.13 – 1963), Titular Bishop of Mostene (1939.06.13 – 1964.11.26)
* Johannes Höhne, M.S.C. (1963.03.01 – 1966.11.15 see below), Titular Bishop of Urima (1963.03.01 – 1966.11.15)

#### Metropolitan Archbishops of Rabaul

* Johannes Höhne, M.S.C. (1966.11.15 – death 1978.05.27)
* Albert-Leo Bundervoet, M.S.C. (1980.03.06 – 1989.03.29)
* Karl Hesse, M.S.C. (1990.07.07 – 2011.08.11), also President of Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (1994 – 1996), Apostolic Administrator sede plena of Bougainville (Papua New Guinea) (1995 – 1996.09.12), again Apostolic Administrator of Bougainville (1996.09.12 – 1999.04.19), President of Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (2002 – 2005); previously Titular Bishop of Naratcata (1978.04.27 – 1980.10.24) & Auxiliary Bishop of Rabaul (1978.04.27 – 1980.10.24), Bishop of Kavieng (Papua New Guinea) (1980.10.24 – 1990.07.07)
* Francesco Panfilo, Salesians (S.D.B.) (2011.08.11 – 2020.06.19), previously Bishop of Alotau–Sideia (Papua New Guinea) (2001.06.25 – 2010.03.18), President of Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (2008.04 – 2011.05), Coadjutor Archbishop of Rabaul (2010.03.18 – 2011.08.11)

### Coadjutor archbishop

* Francesco Panfilo, S.D.B. (2010-2011)

### Auxiliary bishops

* Karl Hesse, M.S.C. (1978-1980), appointed Bishop of Kavieng (later returned here as archbishop)
* George To Bata (1978-1995)
* Patrick Taval, M.S.C. (1999-2007), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Kerema
* Alphonse Liguori Chaupa (2000-2003), appointed Bishop of Kimbe
* John Doaninoel, S.M. (2007-2011), appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Honiara, Solomon Islands

### Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

* Herman To Paivu, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Port Moresby in 1974
* Benedict To Varpin, appointed Bishop of Bereina in 1979
* Francis Meli, appointed Bishop of Vanimo in 2018