Archdiocese of Port Moresby

Archdiocese of Port Moresby

*Archidioecesis Portus Moresbiensis*
Archdiocese of Port Moresby; Archidioecesis Portus Moresbiensis
Location
Country	Papua New Guinea
Headquarters	Port Moresby
Statistics
Area	29,874 km2 (11,534 sq mi)
Population Total; Catholics;	(as of 2023); 792,000; 233,000 (29.4%);
Parishes	22
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	10 May 1889; 137 years ago
Cathedral	St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral, Port Moresby
Current leadership
Pope	Leo XIV
Metropolitan Archbishop	John Ribat, M.S.C.

The Archdiocese of Port Moresby (Latin: Archidiœcesis Portus Moresbiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea. Its cathedral is in St. Mary's Cathedral, in Port Moresby, National Capital District.

History

Established on 10 May 1889 as Apostolic Vicariate of New Guinea on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Melanesia.
Renamed on 1922.11.14 as Apostolic Vicariate of Papua
Renamed on 1946.06.13 as Apostolic Vicariate of Port Moresby, having lost territory to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Samarai (now suffragan diocese Alotau-Sideia)
Lost territory on 1958.11.13 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Mendi
Lost territories on 1959.07.16 to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Yule Island and the Apostolic Prefecture of Daru (now suffragan Diocese of Daru-Kiunga)
Promoted on 1966.11.15 as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Port Moresby
It enjoyed papal visits from Pope John Paul II in May 1984.05 and January 1995, and from Pope Francis in September 4-6, 2024.

Louis-André Navarre, Sacred Heart Missionaries (M.S.C.) (1889.05.10 – 1908.01), Titular Bishop of Pentacomia (1887.05.17 – 1888.08.17); died 1912.01.16
Alain-Marie Guynot de Boismenu, M.S.C. (1908.01 – 1922.11.14 see below), Titular Bishop of Gabala (1899.05.23 – 1945.01.18), succeeded as former Coadjutor Apostolic Vicar of New Guinea (1899.05.23 – 1908.01)

Alain Guynot de Boismenu, M.S.C. (see above 1922.11.14 – retired 1946), later Titular Archbishop of Claudiopolis in Honoriade (1945.01.18 – death 1953.11.05)

André Sorin, M.S.C. (1946.06.13 – death 1959.04.19), Titular Bishop of Antiphræ (1946.06.13 – 1959.04.19); previously Apostolic Administrator of Samarai (Papua New Guinea) (1946.06.13 – 1951.05.18)
Apostolic Administrator Virgil Patrick Copas, M.S.C. (1959.12.19 – 1966.11.15 see below), Titular Bishop of Bennefa (1959.12.19 – 1966.11.15)

Virgil Patrick Copas, M.S.C. (see above 1966.11.15 – retired 1975.12.19), also Apostolic Administrator of suffragan see Bereina (Papua New Guinea) (1973 – 1976.03.01); later Archbishop-Bishop of Kerema (Papua New Guinea) (1976.05.24 – retired 1988.12.06); died 1993.10.03
Herman To Paivu (1975.12.19 – death 1981.02.12), former Titular Bishop of Temuniana (1974.07.01 – 1975.12.19) & Auxiliary Bishop of Port Moresby (1974.07.01 – 1975.12.19)
Peter Kurongku (1981.10.03 – death 1996.06.11); previously Titular Bishop of Sinnuara (1978.11.15 – 1981.10.03) & Auxiliary Bishop of Honiara (Solomon Islands) (1978.11.15 – 1981.10.03)
Brian James Barnes, Friars Minor (O.F.M.) (14 June 1997 – 26 March 2008), previously Bishop of Aitape (Papua New Guinea) (1987.10.03 – 1997.06.14), President of Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (1993 – 1994); died 2017.05.09
Sir John Ribat, KBE, M.S.C. (26 March 2008 - ...), also Cardinal (19 November 2016 - ...), President of Bishops’ Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (2011.05 – 2014.05), President of Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania (2014.05 – ...); previously Titular Bishop of Macriana minor (2000.10.30 – 2002.02.12) & Auxiliary Bishop of Bereina (Papua New Guinea) (2000.10.30 – 2002.02.12), succeeded as Bishop of Bereina (2002.02.12 – 2007.04.16), then Coadjutor Archbishop of Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) (2007.04.16 – 2008.03.26)

Stanislas Henri Verjus, M.S.C. (1889–1892), as Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic; did not succeed to see
Alain Guynot de Boismenu, M.S.C. (1899–1908), as Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic
John Ribat, M.S.C. (2007–2008); future Cardinal

Its ecclesiastical province comprises the Metropolitan's own archdiocese and the following suffragan dioceses: