AFRICA/MADAGASCAR - Erection of the ecclesiastical province of Toamasina, Metropolitan Archbishop appointed

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father Benedict XVI, on 26 February 2010, erected the Ecclesiastical Province of Toamasina (Madagascar), raising the episcopal see of the same name to a Metropolitan Church, assigning it the Dioceses of Ambatondrazaka, Moramanga, Fenoarivo-Atsinana as suffragan Churches. The Holy Father appointed as first Archbishop of Toamasina, Bishop Désiré Tsarahazana, until now Bishop of the same Diocese.
The new Ecclesiastical Province of Toamasina is thus formed: two suffragan dioceses will be detached from the North Ecclesiastical Province (Antsiranana): Toamasina and Fenoarivo-Atsinanana. Another two, Ambatondrazaka and Moramanga, will be separated from the Central Ecclesiastical Province (Antananarivo).
The Diocese of Toamasina, created September 14, 1955, has an area of 23,690 sq. km. and a population of about 2 million inhabitants. Catholics number over 600,000 (31%), non-Catholic Christians number 500,000 (25%), and non-Christians number 850,000 (43%). Toamasina has 18 parishes, including 8 in the city, 42 priests (19 diocesan, 23 religious), 88 religious sisters from 9 Congregations, and 1,250 catechists. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 26/02/2010)