AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Bishop of Man resigns, successor appointed

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI on 18 December 2007, accepted the renunciation of the pastoral government of the Diocese of Man (Ivory Coast) presented by Bishop Joseph Niangoran Teki, in conformity with the Code of Canon Law, canon 401 § 1. The Holy Father appointed as Bishop of Man (Ivory Coast), Rev. Gaspard Béby Gnéba, Professor of spiritual theology and liturgy at Notre Dame Major Seminary for Theology in Gagnoa.
Bishop elect Gaspard Béby Gnéba was born 6 January 1963 at Tehiri Guitry, in the archdiocese of Gagnoa. After primary school he entered Gagnoa minor seminary and then studied philosophy at Yopougon Seminary and theology at Abidjan major seminary. He was ordained a priest on 12 July 1992. Since then he has ministered as follows: assistant priest at St Anne's Cathedral Gagnoa and director of the Catechetical Centre; studies in spiritual theology for a doctorate at the Teresianum College in Rome. Since 2004 he has taught spiritual theology and liturgy at Notre Dame major seminary in Gagnoa.
The diocese of Man, suffragan of the archdiocese of Gagnoa, was created in 1968. It has an area of 30,750sq km and a population of about 1,500,000 of whom 76,200 are Catholics, gathered in 25 parishes, assisted by 29 diocesan priests and 4 religious priests, 47 women religious and there are 20 major seminarians. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 18/12/2007; Righe 18; Parole 242)