Apostolic Vicariate of Tripoli, Libya

Continent: Western and Northern Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Apostolic Vicariate

Name: Tripoli / Tripolitan(us) (Latin)

Immediately subject to the Holy See

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1643: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Tripoli (from Diocese of Islas Canarias)
1913.02.23: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Libya (English) / Libia (Italiano)
1927.02.03: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Tripolitana (lost territory to establish Apostolic Vicariate of Cirenaica)
1939.06.22: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Tripoli / Tripolitan(us) (Latin) (lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Misurata)

Present Prelates

Vicar Apostolic (2017.02.05 – ...):

Bishop George Bugeja, O.F.M. (62)

Titular Bishop of San Leone

Apostolic Administrator of Misurata (Libya)

Ordinaries

Vicars Apostolic of Tripoli (Roman Rite)

Bishop George Bugeja, O.F.M. (62)
(2017.02.05 – ...)

Vicar Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya)
Titular Bishop of San Leone
Apostolic Administrator of Misurata (Libya)

Sub tuum præsidium

Born:	1962.07.01 (Xaghara, Malta)
Ordained Priest:	1986.07.05
Consecrated Bishop:	2015.09.04

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (2015.07.10 – 2017.02.05)

Titular Bishop of San Leone (2015.07.10 – ...)

Apostolic Administrator of Benghazi (Libya) (2016.02.14 – 2019.12.08)

Apostolic Administrator of Derna (Libya) (2016.02.14 – 2019.12.08)

Vicar Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (2017.02.05 – ...)

Apostolic Administrator of Misurata (Libya) (2017.02.05 – ...)

Bishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, O.F.M.
(1985.05.03 – 2017.02.05)

Born:	1942.02.05 (El Khadra, Libya)
Ordained Priest:	1967.07.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1985.10.04
Died:	2019.12.30 (Saccolungo, Italy † 77)

Vicar Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1985.05.03 – 2017.02.05)

Apostolic Administrator of Misurata (Libya) (1985.05.03 – 2017.02.05)

Titular Bishop of Tabuda (1985.05.03 – 2019.12.30)

Bishop Guido Attilio Previtali, O.F.M.
(1969.06.26 – 1985.05.03)

Born:	1914.02.24 (Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1939.07.02
Consecrated Bishop:	1969.09.07
Died:	1989.12.11 († 75)

Prefect Apostolic of Misurata (Libya) (1958.12.05 – 1969.06.26)

Vicar Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1969.06.26 – 1985.05.03)

Titular Bishop of Sozusa in Libya (1969.06.26 – 1989.12.11)

Apostolic Administrator of Misurata (Libya) (1969.08.04 – 1985.05.03)

Bishop Vitale Bonifacio Bertoli, O.F.M.
(1951.04.05 – 1967.03.10)

Born:	1898.02.22
Ordained Priest:	1924.12.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1951.05.20
Died:	1967.03.10 († 69)

Prefect Apostolic of Misurata (Libya) (1948.02.20 – 1951.04.05)

Titular Bishop of Attæa (1951.04.05 – 1967.03.10)

Vicar Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1951.04.05 – 1967.03.10)

Bishop Camillo Vittorino Facchinetti, O.F.M.
(1936.03.09 – 1950.12.25)

Born:	1883.05.12 (Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1907.02.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1936.04.26
Died:	1950.12.25 († 67)

Titular Bishop of Nicius (1936.03.09 – 1950.12.25)

Vicar Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1936.03.09 – 1950.12.25)

Apostolic Administrator of Derna (Libya) (1948 – 1950.12.25)

Vicars Apostolic of Tripolitana (Roman Rite)

Bishop Giacinto Tonizza, O.F.M.
(1927.02.03 – 1935.04.16)

Born:	1866.07.15 (Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1898.12.17
Consecrated Bishop:	1919.11.02
Died:	1935.04.16 († 68)

Vicar Apostolic of Libya (Libya) (1919.08.07 – 1927.02.03)

Titular Bishop of Parætonium (1919.08.07 – 1935.04.16)

Vicar Apostolic of Tripolitana (Libya) (1927.02.03 – 1935.04.16)

Vicars Apostolic of Libya (Roman Rite)

Bishop Giacinto Tonizza, O.F.M.
(1919.08.07 – 1927.02.03)

(see above)

Bishop Ludovico Antomelli, O.F.M.
(1913.02.23 – 1919.03.10)

Born:	1863.02.01 (Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1890
Consecrated Bishop:	1913.06.15
Died:	1927.06.19 († 64)

Titular Bishop of Leptis Magna (1913.02.23 – 1919.03.10)

Vicar Apostolic of Libya (Libya) (1913.02.23 – 1919.03.10)

Bishop of Bagnoregio (Italy) (1919.03.10 – 1924.03.24)

Bishop of Lodi (Italy) (1924.03.24 – 1927.06.19)

Prefects Apostolic of Tripoli (Roman Rite)

Fr. Bonaventura Rossetti, O.F.M.
(1907.08 – ?)

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1907.08 – ?)

Prefect Apostolic of Rhodes and adjacent islands (Greece) (? – ?)

Fr. Giuseppe Bevilacqua da Barrafranca, O.F.M.
(? – 1904)

Died:

1904

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (? – 1904)

Fr. Carlo da Borgo Giovi, O.F.M.
(? – 1899)

Died:

1899

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (? – 1899)

Fr. Angelo Maria da Sant’Agata, O.F.M.
(? – 1869)

Died:

1869

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (? – 1869)

Fr. Ludovico da Modena, O.F.M.
(? – 1843)

Died:

1843

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (? – 1843)

Fr. Venanzio da San Venanzio, O.F.M.
(1843 – ?)

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1843 – ?)

Fr. Filippo da Coltibuono, O.F.M.
(? – 1832)

Died:

1832

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (? – 1832)

Fr. Benedetto da San Donato, O.F.M.
(? – 1824)

Died:

1824

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (? – 1824)

Fr. Pacifico da Monte Cassiano, O.F.M.
(1800? – ?)

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1800? – ?)

Fr. Gaudenzio da Trento, O.F.M.
(1790? – 1795)

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1790? – 1795)

Fr. Candido di Genova, O.F.M.
(? – ?)

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (? – ?)

Fr. Clemente da Montalboldo, O.F.M.
(1783 – 1788?)

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1783 – 1788?)

Fr. Benvenuto da Rose, O.F.M.
(? – 1783)

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (? – 1783)

Fr. Bernardino da Lucca, O.F.M.
(1746 – 1748)

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1746 – 1748)

Fr. Gian Andrea da Vignolo, O.F.M.
(1719? – ?)

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1719? – ?)

Fr. Pietro da Castelfranco, O.F.M.
(1713.08.21 – 1719?)

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1713.08.21 – 1719?)

Fr. Francesco Maria da Sarzana, O.F.M.
(1707 – 1713.04.09)

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1707 – 1713.04.09)

Fr. Nicolò da Chio, O.F.M.
(1700.08.17 – 1707.02)

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1700.08.17 – 1707.02)

Fr. Giovanni Francesco da Varese, O.F.M.
(1698 – 1700.06.07)

Died:

1700.06.07

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1698 – 1700.06.07)

Fr. Maurizio da Lucca, O.F.M.
(1691 – 1698)

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1691 – 1698)

Fr. Girolamo da Castelvetrano, O.F.M.
(1675 – ?)

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1675 – ?)

Fr. Pietro Tognoletto da Palermo, O.F.M.
(? – ?)

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (? – ?)

Fr. Pascal Canto, O.F.M.
(1643 – ?)

Prefect Apostolic of Tripoli (Libya) (1643 – ?)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: Bishop George Bugeja, O.F.M. (62) (2015.07.10 – 2017.02.05)

Special Churches

Pro-Cathedral: Church of St. Francis, Tripoli
Former Cathedral (now secular): Former Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Tripoli

Laghouat (↙), Tunis (←), Misurata (→), Benghazi (↘), N’Djaména (↘), Maradi (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 1,000,000 km²

Population: 16,000 Catholics (0.3% of 5,472,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 2 parishes, 3 missions

Personnel: 1 priest (religious), 7 religious (1 brother, 6 sisters)