Apostolic Vicariate of Tripoli

The Apostolic Vicariate of Tripoli (Latin: Vicariatus Apostolicus Tripolitanus) is a Roman Catholic apostolic vicariate (pre-diocesan Latin Rite missionary jurisdiction) in Tripolitania (northwestern, coastal Libya).

It is exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See (not part of any ecclesiastical province) and depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Although still named after its see, it has no cathedral see anymore since Tripoli Cathedral was converted into a Muslim mosque.

Pro-cathedral of St. Francis in Tripoli

Currently the temporary cathedral is the pro-cathedral of St. Francis located in the city of Tripoli that simultaneously serves as a parish church.^[1]

History

• Established in 1630 as Apostolic Prefecture of Tripoli, on territory canonically split off from the (Spanish colonial) Diocese of Islas Canarias.^[2]
• Promoted and renamed in 1894 as Apostolic Vicariate of Libya, hence entitled to a titular bishop^[2]
• Renamed on February 3, 1927 as Apostolic Vicariate of Tripolitana, having lost territory to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Cyrenaica (later renamed Benghazi, after its see)^[2]
• June 22, 1939: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Tripoli (again), having lost more Libyan territory to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Misurata.^[2]

Statistics

Tripoli Cathedral before conversion into a mosque

As per 2014, it pastorally served 50,000 Catholics (0.8% of 6,204,000 total) on 1,000,000 km² in one (cathedral) parish and 15 missions with 5 priests (1 diocesan, 4 religious), and 18 lay religious (6 brothers, 12 sisters).^[3]

Ordinaries

^[4](all Roman Rite; so far European members of a missionary Latin order, notably the Friars Minor, O.F.M.)

Apostolic Prefects of Tripoli

• Friar Pascal Canto, OFM (1643 – ?)
• Pietro Tognoletto da Palermo, OFM (? – ?)
• Girolamo da Castelvetrano, OFM (1675 – ?)
• Maurizio da Lucca, OFM (1691 – 1698)
• Giovanni Francesco da Varese, OFM (1698 – 7 July 1700)
• Nicolò da Chio, OFM (17 August 1700 – February 1707)
• Francesco Maria da Sarzana, OFM (1707 – 9 April 1713)
• Pietro da Castelfranco, OFM (21 August 1713 – 1719?)
• Gian Andrea da Vignolo, OFM (1719? – ?)
• Bernardino da Lucca, OFM (1746 – 1748)
• Benvenuto da Rose, OFM (? – 1783)
• Clemente da Montalboldo, OFM (1783 – 1788?)
• Candido di Genova, OFM (? – ?)
• Gaudenzio da Trento, OFM (1790? – 1795)
• Pacifico da Monte Cassiano, OFM (1800? – ?)
• Benedetto da San Donato, OFM (? – 1824)
• Filippo da Coltibuono, OFM (? – 1832)
• Venanzio da San Venanzio, OFM (1843 – ?)
• Ludovico da Modena, OFM (? – 1843)
• Angelo Maria da Sant’Agata, OFM (? – 1869)

Apostolic Vicars of Libya

• Carlo da Borgo Giovi, OFM (? – 1899)
• Giuseppe Bevilacqua da Barrafranca, OFM (? – 1904)
• Bonaventura Rossetti, OFM (August 1907 – ?)
• Ludovico Antomelli, OFM (23 February 1913 – 10 March 1919)
• Giacinto Tonizza, OFM (7 August 1919 – 3 February 1927)

Apostolic Vicar of Tripolitania

• Giacinto Tonizza, OFM (3 February 1927 – 16 April 1935)

Apostolic Vicars of Tripoli

• Camillo Vittorino Facchinetti, OFM (9 March 1936 – 25 December 1950)
• Vitale Bonifacio Bertoli, OFM (5 April 1951 – 10 March 1967)
• Guido Attilio Previtali, OFM (26 June 1969 – 3 May 1985)
• Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, OFM (3 May 1985 – 5 February 2017)
• George Bugeja, OFM (5 February 2017 – )

References

Sources and external links

• GCatholic.org, with incumbent biographical links, Google map and - satellite photo
• Catholic Hierarchy [self-published]