The Catholic Church in Madagascar is part of the worldwide

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, under the spiritual leadership of the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. About one quarter of the population of

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

is Catholic – about four million adherents in total. There are 21

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...

s including five archdioceses. Below is a list of the archdioceses dioceses, and the archbishops and

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

s of each.Profile of the Catholic Church in Madagascar
/ref> *

Antananarivo Antananarivo (French language, French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known as Antananarivo-Renivohitra ("An ...

– Odon Marie Arsène Razanakolona ** Antsirabe – Philippe Ranaivomanana **

Miarinarivo Miarinarivo is a city (commune urbaine) in Itasy Region, in the Central Highlands of Madagascar. Miarinarivo is located at of Antananarivo and is the capital of Itasy Region as well as of its district. Education In Miarinarivo are situa ...

– Jean Claude Randrianarisoa **

Tsiroanomandidy Tsiroanomandidy is a city (commune urbaine) in central-western Madagascar, approximately 210 kilometres west of the capital Antananarivo. Tsiroanomandidy is the capital of Bongolava Region and of Tsiroanomandidy District. Its name means ''One p ...

– Gustavo Bombin Espino *

Antsiranana Antsiranana ( mg, Antsiran̈ana ), named Diego-Suárez prior to 1975, is a city in the far north of Madagascar. Antsiranana is the capital of Diana Region. It had an estimated population of 115,015 in 2013. History The bay and city originally u ...

– Michel Malo **

Ambanja Ambanja is a city and commune in northern Madagascar. According to 2001 census the population of Ambanja was 28,468. Geography Ambanja is located on the northern berth of the Sambirano River and is crossed by the Route Nationale 6 ( Antsiranan ...

– Rosario Saro Vella, S.D.B. ** Mahajanga –

Joseph Ignace Randrianasolo Joseph Ignace Randrianasolo (31 July 1947 – 4 February 2010) was the Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mahajanga, Madagascar. Ordained to the priesthood on 20 December 1975, Randrianasolo earned a doctorate in canon law f ...

** Port-Bergé – Georges Varkey Puthiyakulangara * Fianarantsoa –

Fulgence Rabemahafaly Archbishop Fulgence Rabemahafaly (born 23 May 1951 in Miarinavaratra) is the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Fianarantsoa in Fianarantsoa, Madagascar. He was ordained as a priest on 14 August 1980 in Fianarantsoa. He was previously the Bishop ...

Ambositra Ambositra is a city (commune urbaine) in central Madagascar. Ambositra is the capital of the Amoron'i Mania region, and of Ambositra District. It is the centre of Madagascar's' wood-carving industry due to the presence of the Zafimaniry tr ...

–

Fidelis Rakotonarivo Bishop Fidelis Rakotonarivo (born 28 August 1956 in Ambohimahazo) is the head of the Diocese of Ambositra in Ambositra, Madagascar. He was ordained priest on 15 August 1992 by the Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , imag ...

Farafangana Farafangana is a city (commune urbaine) on the south-east coast of Madagascar and capital of the Atsimo-Atsinanana region. Location Farafangana is the capital of the region Atsimo-Atsinanana located approximately 400 kilometres south of the c ...

–

Benjamin Marc Ramaroson Benjamin Marc Ramaroson, C.M. (born 25 April 1955 in Manakara) is Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Antsiranana in Madagascar. Biography Ramaroson was ordained as a priest on 15 August 1984 for the Congregation of the Mission. He w ...

Ihosy Ihosy is a city (commune urbaine) with 283,047 inhabitants (2015) in Ihorombe Region in central south Madagascar. Ihosy is the capital of Ihorombe Region, as well as of the district of Ihosy. Geography Ihosy is an important crosspoint for ...

– Philippe Ranaivomanana **

Mananjary Mananjary is a city located in Vatovavy, Madagascar with a population of 25,222 inhabitants in 2018. It is the chief city of the Mananjary district. It contains a town of the same name, situated on the southern part of the east coast, where the M ...

– -

José Alfredo Caires de Nobrega Bishop José Alfredo Caires de Nobrega (born 12 April 1951 in Caniço (Santa Cruz)) is the bishop of the Diocese of Mananjary in Mananjary, Madagascar. He was ordained priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacr ...

Toamasina Toamasina (), meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French Tamatave, is the capital of the Atsinanana region on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief seaport of the country, situated northeast of it ...

– Desire Tsarahazana **

Ambatondrazaka Ambatondrazaka () is a city (commune urbaine) in Madagascar Ambatondrazaka is also the capital of the Alaotra-Mangoro region and the Ambatondrazaka District. Geography The city is situated south of Alaotra, the greatest lake in Madagascar. ...

– Antoine Scopelliti **

Fenoarivo Atsinanana Fenoarivo Atsinanana (French: Fénérive Est) is a city (commune urbaine) in Madagascar. It is the capital of the Analanjirofo region and of the district of Fenerive-Est. The city is located on the east coast about 103 km north of the cit ...

– Marcellin Randriamamonjy **

Moramanga Moramanga is a city (commune urbaine) in Madagascar. It is located in the region Alaotra-Mangoro and the Moramanga District. It has a population of 57084 inhabitants (2018). It is situated between the capital Antananarivo and the east coast on t ...

–

Gaetano Di Pierro Gaetano Di Pierro (born December 1, 1948, in Orta Nova) is an Italian clergyman and prelate for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Farafangana. He was appointed bishop in 2018. See also *Catholic Church in Madagascar The Catholic Church in Madagas ...

Toliara Toliara (also known as ''Toliary'', ; formerly ''Tuléar'') is a city in Madagascar. It is the capital of the Atsimo-Andrefana region, located 936 km southwest of national capital Antananarivo. The current spelling of the name was adopted ...

– Fulgence Rabeony **

Morombe Morombe is an urban municipality (commune urbaine) on the south-west coast in Atsimo-Andrefana, Madagascar. It can be reached by the National road 55 or pirogue from Morondava. It is situated at 283 km from Tulear. An airport serves the town ...

– Zygmunt Robaszkiewicz **

Morondava Morondava (, from mg, morona lava "long coast") is a city located in Menabe Region, of which it is the capital, in Madagascar. It is located in the delta of the Morandava River at . Its population as of the 2018 census, was 53,510. Population ...

– Marie Fabien Raharilamboniaina ** Tôlagnaro – Vincent Rakotozafy

References

External links

* * http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/country/MG.htm {{RC-country-stub