Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lubango, Angola

Continent: Southern Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Lubango / Lubangen(sis) (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Menongue, Namibe, Ondjiva

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Joseph (March 19)

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1955.07.27: Established as Diocese of Sá da Bandeira / Sadabandeiropolitan(us) (Latin) (from Diocese of Nova Lisboa)
1975.08.10: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Pereira de Eça and Diocese of Serpa Pinto
1977.02.03: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lubango / Lubangen(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Pereira de Eça and Serpa Pinto)
2009.03.21: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Namibe and gained suffragan see Namibe

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2009.09.05 – ...):

Archbishop Gabriel Mbilingi, C.S.Sp. (66)

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Lubango (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Gabriel Mbilingi, C.S.Sp. (66)
(2009.09.05 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lubango (Angola)

Et passio Christi

Born:	1958.01.17 (Bândua, Angola)
Ordained Priest:	1984.02.26
Consecrated Bishop:	2000.01.06

Coadjutor Bishop of Luena (Angola) (1999.10.15 – 2000.06.07)

Bishop of Luena (Angola) (2000.06.07 – 2006.12.11)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Lubango (Angola) (2006.12.11 – 2009.09.05)

President of Inter-Regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (2007 – 2012.08)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lubango (Angola) (2009.09.05 – ...)

President of Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (2009.11.20 – 2015.11.09)

President of Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (2013.09 – 2019.07.19)

Archbishop Zacarias Kamwenho (90)
(1997.01.15 – 2009.09.05)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Lubango (Angola)

Caridade

Born:	1934.09.05 (Chimbundo, Angola)
Ordained Priest:	1961.07.09
Consecrated Bishop:	1974.11.23

Priest of Nova Lisboa (Angola) (1961.07.09 – 1974.08.26)

Titular Bishop of Tabla (1974.08.26 – 1975.08.10)

Auxiliary Bishop of Luanda (Angola) (1974.08.26 – 1975.08.10)

Bishop of Ngunza (Angola) (1975.08.10 – 1977.02.03)

Bishop of Novo Redondo (Angola) (1977.02.03 – 1995.03.03)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Lubango (Angola) (1995.03.03 – 1997.01.15)

President of Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (1997 – 2003)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lubango (Angola) (1997.01.15 – 2009.09.05)

Archbishop Manuel Franklin da Costa
(1986.09.12 – 1997.01.15)

Born:	1921.08.31 (Angola)
Ordained Priest:	1948.01.25
Consecrated Bishop:	1975.09.14
Died:	2003.07.17 († 81)

Bishop of Henrique de Carvalho (Angola) (1975.08.10 – 1977.02.03)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Huambo (Angola) (1977.02.03 – 1986.09.12)

President of Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (1982 – 1990)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lubango (Angola) (1986.09.12 – 1997.01.15)

Cardinal Alexandre do Nascimento
(1977.02.03 – 1986.02.16)

Turres fortissima nomen Domini

Born:	1925.03.01 (Malanje, Angola)
Ordained Priest:	1952.12.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1975.08.31
Created Cardinal:	1983.02.02
Died:	2024.09.28 (Luanda, Angola † 99)

Priest of Malanje (Angola) (1952.12.20 – 1975.08.10)

Bishop of Malanje (Angola) (1975.08.10 – 1977.02.03)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lubango (Angola) (1977.02.03 – 1986.02.16)

Apostolic Administrator of Ondjiva (Angola) (1977.02.03 – 1986.02.16)

President of Caritas Internationalis (1983 – 1991)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Marco in Agro Laurentino (1983.02.02 – 2024.09.28)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Luanda (Angola) (1986.02.16 – 2001.01.23)

President of Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (1990 – 1997)

Bishops of Sá da Bandeira (Roman Rite)

Bishop Eurico Dias Nogueira (later Archbishop)
(1972.02.19 – 1977.02.03)

Born:	1923.03.06 (Dornelas do Zêzere, Portugal)
Ordained Priest:	1945.12.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1964.12.06
Died:	2014.05.19 († 91)

Bishop of Vila Cabral (Mozambique) (1964.07.10 – 1972.02.19)

Bishop of Sá da Bandeira (Angola) (1972.02.19 – 1977.02.03)

Apostolic Administrator of Pereira de Eça (Angola) (1975 – 1977.02.03)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Braga (Portugal) (1977.02.03 – 1999.06.05)

Bishop Altino Ribeiro de Santana
(1955.07.27 – 1972.02.19)

Born:	1915.10.19 (India)
Ordained Priest:	1938.10.09
Consecrated Bishop:	1955.10.23
Died:	1973.02.27 († 57)

Bishop of Sá da Bandeira (Angola) (1955.07.27 – 1972.02.19)

Bishop of Beira (Mozambique) (1972.02.19 – 1973.02.27)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop Gabriel Mbilingi, C.S.Sp. (66) (2006.12.11 – 2009.09.05)
Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop Zacarias Kamwenho (90) (1995.03.03 – 1997.01.15)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Sé Catedral de São José, Lubango, Huíla

Namibe (←), Ganda (↑), Huambo (↗), Menongue (→), Ondjiva (↘)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 79,023 km²

Population: 1,502,130 Catholics (53.3% of 2,820,335 total)

Pastoral Centres: 51 parishes, 5 missions

Personnel: 119 priests (88 diocesan, 31 religious), 327 religious (56 brothers, 271 sisters), 268 seminarians