Fridolin Ambongo Besungu
Bishop of Bokungu-Ikela (2004-16) | |
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Alma mater | Alphonsian Academy |
Coat of arms |
Fridolin Ambongo Besungu,
He served as a parish priest and as a professor before his episcopal career and since being a bishop has been a leading voice among his conferees for national peace.[1][2] He is also a professed member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. Pope Francis raised him to the rank of cardinal on 5 October 2019. He is a member of the Council of Cardinals.
Education and priesthood
Fridolin Ambongo Besungu was born in Boto on 24 January 1960 and prepared for the
Ambongo was
Bishop
Pope John Paul II appointed him
Archbishop
Pope Francis first named him apostolic administrator for Mbandaka-Bikoro on 5 March 2016[6] and then Archbishop of that see on 12 November, while retaining responsibility for Bokungu-Ikela as Apostolic Administrator.[7] He was installed in his new see on 11 December 2016.[8]
In 2016–18 he decried the repeated attempts of Congo President
On 30 May 2018, Ambongo issued a statement in Mbdanka-Bikoro announcing that there would be a suspension of those sacraments that require physical contact to administer due to an outbreak of
Ambongo condemns the exploitation of natural resources and believes that
In March 2015 he reported that he has received death threats: "I am a person in danger in Congo." With a nervous laugh he told a French radio outlet: "I am in danger. This is true."[10]
In June 2016 he was elected Vice-President of the Episcopal Conference of the Congo (CENCO).[11]
On 6 February 2018, Pope Francis appointed Ambongo the coadjutor for the Kinshasa archdiocese,[11] to succeed Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya upon his resignation. He was presented to the archdiocese as coadjutor on 11 March 2018. He became Archbishop when Francis accepted Pasinya's resignation on 1 November 2018.[12] He was installed there on 25 November 2018.[13]
On 5 October 2019, Pope Francis made him
In February 2023, Ambongo was elected president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). [17]
In this role he wrote a statement insisting the bishops of Africa enjoy communion with Pope Francis, Cardinal Ambongo Besungu said African Bishops nevertheless “believe that the extra-liturgical blessings proposed in the declaration
Following his opposition to Fiducia Supplicans, he wrote a document with Cardinal Fernández that refuses any blessing of homosexual couples, arguing that such blessings "cannot be carried out in Africa without exposing themselves to scandals." It was submitted to Pope Francis and also signed by Cardinal Fernández.[19] In a latter stated in an interview with French-language Catholic television channel KTO, Ambongo stated that the African rejection of the document was due it being percived as “a kind of Western imperialism", and to force same-sex blessing on African culture would be akin to “cultural colonization”.[20]
In a 2024 audio recording, Cardinal Ambongo can be heard saying Westerners have "decadent morals."[21]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Allen Jr., John L. (7 February 2018). "Transition looms in African Catholic powerhouse as legend readies to go". Crux. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
- ^ a b "DRC Bishops visit Zambian President on a peace mission". Vatican News. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ a b "Bishop Ambongo returns to the Saint Eugene de Mazenod Institute – Congo". Oblates of Mary Immaculate. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
- ^ a b "Resignations and Appointments, 06.02.2018" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ a b "Rinunce e Nomine, 22.11.2004" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 22 November 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 05.03.2016" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 5 March 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 12.11.2016" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 12 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ "Prise de possession canonique de Mgr Fridolin Ambongo Besungu archevêque Mbandaka-Bikoro" (in French). Agence Congolaise de Presse. 2 December 2016. Archived from the original on 26 November 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ MacDonald, G. Jeffrey (5 June 2018). "Church suspends sacraments as deadly Ebola outbreak spreads". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ a b c McElwee, Joshua J. (10 March 2015). "Congolese bishop: The Vatican under Francis is 'closer to the reality that we live'". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ a b "Rinunce e Nomine, 06.02.2018" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ "Holy See Press Office announces new Archbishop for Kinshasa". Vatican News. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ Luxmoore, Jonathan (6 December 2018). "Colleagues say new Congolese archbishop will defend human rights". Crux. Catholic News Service. Archived from the original on 13 May 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
- ^ "Concistoro Ordinario Pubblico: Assegnazione dei Titoli, 05.10.2019" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 5 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
- ^ "Rinunce e nomine, 21.02.2020" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- ^ "Resignations and Appointments, 15.10.2020" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ "SECAM: Cardinal Ambogo is the New President for SECAM". Retrieved 2023-03-16.
- ^ African bishops say ‘no’ to blessing of same-sex unions, citing ‘scandal’
- ^ [1]
- ^ Atemanke, Jude (20 March 2024). "African Cardinal: Fiducia Supplicans Seen as 'Cultural Colonization, Western Imperialism'". CNA/ACI Africa. National Catholic Register. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ We wish them a good demise": Cardinal Ambongo's harsh attack against Westerners
External links
- Catholic Hierarchy [self-published]