Roman Catholic Diocese of Taiohae

Diocese of Taiohae Dioecesis Taiohaënus seu Humanae Telluris Diocèse de Taiohae ou Tefenuaenata
230px Notre Dame Cathedral, Taiohae
Location
Country	French Polynesia, France
Ecclesiastical province	Papeete
Metropolitan	Archdiocese of Papeete
Statistics
Area
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2010) 9,220 8,310 (90.1%)
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	9 May 1848 (As Vicariate Apostolic of Marquesas Islands) 21 June 1966 (As Diocese of Taiohae) 31 May 1974 (As Diocese of Taiohae or Tefenuaenata)
Cathedral	Notre Dame Cathedral, Taiohae
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Pascal Chang-Soi
Metropolitan Archbishop	Jean-Pierre Edmond Cottanceau, SS.CC.
Emeritus Bishops	Guy André Dominique Marie Chevalier, SS.CC

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Taiohae (or Tefenuaenata, or Hakapehi) (Latin: Dioecesis Taiohaënus seu Humanae Telluris; French: Diocèse de Taiohae ou Tefenuaenata), in French Polynesia, is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Papeete, yet still depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Its cathedral episcopal see is the Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Îles Marquises, dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus at Taiohae, on Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands (French: îles Marquises).

History

• Erected on 1848.05.09 as the Apostolic Vicariate of Marquesas Islands/ Isole Marchesi (Curiate Italian) / Insularum Marchesi (Latin), on insular territory split off from the suppressed Apostolic Vicariate of Eastern Oceania
• Promoted on 1966.06.21 as Diocese of Taiohae / Taiohaën(us) (Latin)
• Renamed 1974.05.31 as Diocese of Taiohae / Hakapehi (synonym) / Tefenuaenata (Marquesan Islands name) / Humanæ Telluris (Latin) / Taiohaën(us) (Latin adjective).

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally served 8,970 Catholics (91.2% of 9,835 total) on 1,250 km² in 26 parishes with 4 priests (2 diocesan, 2 religious), 11 lay religious (7 brothers, 4 sisters) and 1 seminarian.

Bishops

(all Roman Rite, so far European:French missionaries)

Ordinaries

Apostolic Vicars of Marquesas Islands

• François Baudichon, SS.CC. (1848.05.09 – retired 1855), Titular Bishop of Basilinopolis (1844.08.14 – 1882.06.11); died 1882
• René Ildefonse Dordillon, SS.CC. (1855.12.07 – death 1888.01.11), Titular Bishop of Cambysopolis (1855.12.07 – 1888.01.11)
  • Apostolic Administrator Father Rogatien-Joseph Martin, SS.CC. (1890.04.11 – 1892.06.03 see below), no previous prelature
• Rogatien-Joseph Martin, SS.CC. (see above 1892.06.03 – death 1912.05.27), Titular Bishop of Verinopolis (1892.06.03 – 1912.05.27)
• Pierre-Marie-David Le Cadre, Picpus Fathers (SS.CC.) (1920.12.30 – death 1952.11.21), Titular Bishop of Demetrias (1921.01.05 – 1952.11.21)
• Louis-Bertrand Tirilly, SS.CC. (1953.11.16 – 1966.06.21 see below), Titular Bishop of Buthrotum (1953.11.16 – 1966.06.21)

Suffragan Bishops of Taiohae

• Louis-Bertrand Tirilly, SS.CC. (see above 1966.06.21 – retired 1970.03.17), emeritate as Titular Bishop of Budua (1970.03.17 – resigned 1976.09.27); died 2002
• Hervé Le Cléac'h, SS.CC. (1973.03.01 – retired 1986.05.31), died 2012
• Guy Chevalier, SS.CC. (1986.05.31 – retired 2015.09.05), Bishop Emeritus; succeeded as previous Coadjutor Bishop of Taiohae (1985.03.29 – 1986.05.31)
• Pascal Chang-Soï, SS.CC. (5 September 2015 - ...), previously Coadjutor Bishop of Taiohae (French Polynesia) (2010.08.04 – succession 2015.09.05) and Apostolic Administrator of Papeete (French Polynesia) (2013.03.13 – 2015.08.28).

Coadjutor bishops

• Guy André Dominique Marie Chevalier, SS.CC. (1985-1986)
• Pascal Chang-Soï, SS.CC. (2010-2015)

See also

• List of Catholic dioceses in South Pacific Conference states

Sources and external links

• GCatholic, with Google map & satellite photo - data for all sections