Vatican City (Fides Service) - The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has, 27 February 2004, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Kananga (Democratic Republic of Congo) Rev. Marcel Madila, Rector of the John Paul II Seminary University in Kinshasa, assigning to him the titular see of Gigti.
The Auxiliary Bishop elect was born on 17 May 1955 at Demba, archdiocese of Kananga. After attending the minor seminary in Kabwe, he studied philosophy at Mbujimayi major seminary and theology at Malole Seminary. He obtained a degree in Theology at the Catholic Faculty Kinshasa.. He was ordained a priest on 30 August 1981 at Kananga for that diocese. He has since been: 1981-84: "Vicaire routier" at M.C. Mikalayi St. Joseph; 1984-86: Professor at the Mbujimayi major seminary; 1987-96: joint doctorate in philosophy at the Catholics Institute Paris and in History of Religions and Religious Anthropology at the Sorbonne University Paris; 1996-99: Professor of philosophy at Kabwe major seminary and clergy animator; since 2000: Rector of the John Paul II Seminary University in Kinshasa and Professor at the Catholic Faculty Kinshasa.
Kananga Archdiocese is situated in the region of Kasayi and it has 7 suffragan dioceses. It has an area of 33.000 sq. km, a population of 2,200,000, of whom 1,320,000 are Catholics gathered in 51 parishes, assisted by141 diocesan priests (96 resident, 22 in other parts of the country, 23 abroad), 18 religious priests, 38 Brothers, 256 Sisters, 32 major seminarians. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 27/3/2004; Righe 18; Parole 232)